thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--Democratic Voters Lag In Enthusiasm About The 2020 Election

ASSOCIATED PRESS A voter in Milwaukee arrives at a polling place for Wisconsin 's controversial April 7 primary election , held despite concerns about the coronavirus pandemic .
The Democratic Party ’ s electorate is less enthusiastic about the 2020 election than their Republican counterparts , according to a HuffPost/YouGov survey , a split in attitudes that existed before the coronavirus pandemic caused voters of all ideological and partisan stripes to become less gung-ho about casting ballots in November .
A relative lack of enthusiasm has been a persistent problem for the presumed Democratic presidential nominee , former Vice President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lead President Donald Trump in the vast majority of national public polling .
Biden triumphed in his party ’ s primary even though polling indicated the supporters of his main rival for the nomination , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , were far more fired up about voting than Biden ’ s backers .
Democratic officials disagree on the severity of the enthusiasm gap between their party ’ s electorate and the GOP ’ s , with many arguing voters ’ intense dislike of Trump should be enough to drive the turnout necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage most polls show Biden enjoys among swing voters .
But some Democrats are more worried , noting enthusiasm levels could be even more important than usual when vast numbers of voters around the country may be casting ballots by mail for the first time due to the pandemic .
In a newly released HuffPost/YouGov poll , Republican and Republican-leaning voters are 14 percentage points likelier than Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters to say they ’ re very enthusiastic about voting .
Republicans have a smaller edge on two other metrics : they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re very motivated to vote , and 8 points likelier to say they definitely plan on voting .
There ’ s relatively little difference in the attention each group is paying to the campaign .
Several other surveys also have shown Democrats lagging on enthusiasm , although the findings have not been entirely consistent .
CNN ’ s polling last month found Democrats ’ enthusiasm decreasing , while among Republicans it remained stable , giving Trump supporters a sizable advantage on the metric .
Biden also saw lagging numbers in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found strong enthusiasm among Democrats for their party ’ s presidential pick at a 20-year low .
Addisu Demissie , who managed New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker ’ s White House bid , noted that the percentage of ballots cast by mail was expected to skyrocket in the key swing states of Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania ― and it could take a higher level of enthusiasm to convince voters to go through an unfamiliar process .
Polls taken throughout last year suggested an unprecedented wave of voter enthusiasm building around the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November , according to Gallup , voters ’ enthusiasm for an election still roughly a year away was on par with the levels seen just days before the public voted in 2008 and 2012 ― and significantly higher than at any point in the 2016 cycle .
That momentum , however , appears to have been abruptly halted by the coronavirus pandemic , which rapidly overwhelmed news cycles .
Between February and March , according to HuffPost/YouGov ’ s polling , the share of registered voters who reported that they were following election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the share who said they were very enthusiastic about the election fell by 11 points .
Two other self-reported metrics ― the share of voters who described themselves as very motivated and the percentage saying they were very likely to vote ― also saw downticks .
Several of those numbers have rebounded over the course of April .
But voters ’ self-reported attention , enthusiasm and motivation are still lower than they were near the end of last year .
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups : Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .

A voter in Milwaukee arrives at a polling place for Wisconsin's controversial April 7 primary election, held despite concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Democratic Party’s electorate is less enthusiastic about the 2020 election than their Republican counterparts, according to a HuffPost/YouGov survey, a split in attitudes that existed before the coronavirus pandemic caused voters of all ideological and partisan stripes to become less gung-ho about casting ballots in November.
A relative lack of enthusiasm has been a persistent problem for the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, even as he continues to lead President Donald Trump in the vast majority of national public polling. Biden triumphed in his party’s primary even though polling indicated the supporters of his main rival for the nomination, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, were far more fired up about voting than Biden’s backers.
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Democratic officials disagree on the severity of the enthusiasm gap between their party’s electorate and the GOP’s, with many arguing voters’ intense dislike of Trump should be enough to drive the turnout necessary to defeat him, especially considering the advantage most polls show Biden enjoys among swing voters. But some Democrats are more worried, noting enthusiasm levels could be even more important than usual when vast numbers of voters around the country may be casting ballots by mail for the first time due to the pandemic.
In a newly released HuffPost/YouGov poll, Republican and Republican-leaning voters are 14 percentage points likelier than Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters to say they’re very enthusiastic about voting. Republicans have a smaller edge on two other metrics: they’re currently 10 points likelier to say they’re very motivated to vote, and 8 points likelier to say they definitely plan on voting. There’s relatively little difference in the attention each group is paying to the campaign.
Results of a new HuffPost/YouGov survey on voter enthusiasm. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
GOP and GOP-leaning voters have consistently maintained an enthusiasm advantage in HuffPost/YouGov polling since last fall, although the size of that advantage has fluctuated significantly.
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Several other surveys also have shown Democrats lagging on enthusiasm, although the findings have not been entirely consistent. CNN’s polling last month found Democrats’ enthusiasm decreasing, while among Republicans it remained stable, giving Trump supporters a sizable advantage on the metric. Biden also saw lagging numbers in a late March Washington Post/ABC survey, which found strong enthusiasm among Democrats for their party’s presidential pick at a 20-year low.
But in an April Monmouth University survey, which asked voters to rate their enthusiasm in comparison with past elections, the ardor level dropped mostly among Republicans, leaving the two parties roughly on par.
Addisu Demissie, who managed New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s White House bid, noted that the percentage of ballots cast by mail was expected to skyrocket in the key swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania ― and it could take a higher level of enthusiasm to convince voters to go through an unfamiliar process.
“Folks who are not typically mail voters, and folks who are not typically good voters, we’ve got to give them a reason to vote,” he said.
Polls taken throughout last year suggested an unprecedented wave of voter enthusiasm building around the 2020 election. By the end of last November, according to Gallup, voters’ enthusiasm for an election still roughly a year away was on par with the levels seen just days before the public voted in 2008 and 2012 ― and significantly higher than at any point in the 2016 cycle.
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That momentum, however, appears to have been abruptly halted by the coronavirus pandemic, which rapidly overwhelmed news cycles. Between February and March, according to HuffPost/YouGov’s polling, the share of registered voters who reported that they were following election news very closely dropped by 12 points, and the share who said they were very enthusiastic about the election fell by 11 points. Two other self-reported metrics ― the share of voters who described themselves as very motivated and the percentage saying they were very likely to vote ― also saw downticks.
Several of those numbers have rebounded over the course of April. But voters’ self-reported attention, enthusiasm and motivation are still lower than they were near the end of last year.
Results of HuffPost/YouGov polling on voter enthusiasm and other metrics. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
There is an obvious precedent for a pandemic dampening voter turnout: In the 1918 midterm elections, held during the Spanish Flu pandemic, turnout fell to 40% ― a remarkably low total for the era. (Turnout during the prior two midterm elections topped 50%.)
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
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The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted April 21-23 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors. YouGov’s reports include a model-based margin of error, which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling. If these assumptions are wrong, the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--California Sues Uber, Lyft To Enforce Gig Worker Protection Law

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed suit against Uber and Lyft on Tuesday in a bid to force the ride-hailing companies to reclassify their contract workers as employees with full benefits , as required by the state ’ s Assembly Bill 5 law passed last year .
Becerra , joined by city attorneys for Los Angeles , San Diego and San Francisco , says that the companies have “ exploited hundreds of thousands of California workers ” by not classifying them as employees and thereby denying them access to benefits like a minimum wage , overtime pay , paid sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People bring this action to ensure that Uber and Lyft ride-hailing drivers — the lifeblood of these companies — receive the full compensation , protections , and benefits they are guaranteed under law , ” reads the complaint , filed in the Superior Court of San Francisco .
Through the suit , the state is seeking restitution for the drivers , an end to the “ unlawful misclassification , ” and civil penalties that could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars .
In a news release , Becerra pointed to the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying : “ The vulnerability of Uber ’ s and Lyft ’ s drivers has become more apparent than ever.
” Since California ’ s Assembly Bill 5 was signed into law last year ( it took effect in January ) , Uber and Lyft have been fighting the measure .
The companies ’ bottom lines will be dramatically affected if thousands of drivers are reclassified as employees .
Lyft said in a statement Tuesday that it was “ looking forward ” to working with the attorney general “ to bring all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to as many workers as possible , especially during this time when the creation of good jobs with access to affordable healthcare and other benefits is more important than ever.
” Uber similarly cited “ a time when California ’ s economy is in crisis , ” to say : “ We need to make it easier , not harder , for people to quickly start earning.
” The company plans to contest the action in court .
Uber and delivery company Postmates filed a suit against California in December over the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unconstitutional.
” In February , a judge rejected the companies ’ attempt to block the law — though the suit may move forward if the companies choose to appeal .
Uber , Postmates , Lyft and other app-based companies have also put tens of millions of dollars toward a statewide ballot initiative to essentially exempt their drivers from the legislation .
The companies claim the legislation doesn ’ t allow them to provide flexibility to drivers to choose their schedules and hours .
California ’ s attorney general begs to differ .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , they have gone to extraordinary lengths to convince the public that their unlawful misclassification scheme is in the public interest , ” the AG ’ s suit reads , citing the companies ’ “ aggressive public relations campaign , ” saying they ’ re “ peddling the lie that driver flexibility and worker protections are somehow legally incompatible.
” San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera called the companies ’ claim “ a lie ” in a news release Tuesday , saying : “ There is no legal reason why Uber and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pool of employees who decide for themselves when and where they work ― exactly as drivers do now .
”

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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed suit against Uber and Lyft on Tuesday in a bid to force the ride-hailing companies to reclassify their contract workers as employees with full benefits, as required by the state’s Assembly Bill 5 law passed last year.
Becerra, joined by city attorneys for Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, says that the companies have “exploited hundreds of thousands of California workers” by not classifying them as employees and thereby denying them access to benefits like a minimum wage, overtime pay, paid sick leave and family leave.
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“The People bring this action to ensure that Uber and Lyft ride-hailing drivers — the lifeblood of these companies — receive the full compensation, protections, and benefits they are guaranteed under law,” reads the complaint, filed in the Superior Court of San Francisco.
Through the suit, the state is seeking restitution for the drivers, an end to the “unlawful misclassification,” and civil penalties that could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.
In a news release, Becerra pointed to the coronavirus pandemic and related record job losses, saying: “The vulnerability of Uber’s and Lyft’s drivers has become more apparent than ever.”
Since California’s Assembly Bill 5 was signed into law last year (it took effect in January), Uber and Lyft have been fighting the measure. The companies’ bottom lines will be dramatically affected if thousands of drivers are reclassified as employees.
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Lyft said in a statement Tuesday that it was “looking forward” to working with the attorney general “to bring all the benefits of California’s innovation economy to as many workers as possible, especially during this time when the creation of good jobs with access to affordable healthcare and other benefits is more important than ever.”
Uber similarly cited “a time when California’s economy is in crisis,” to say: “We need to make it easier, not harder, for people to quickly start earning.” The company plans to contest the action in court.
We're taking @uber and @lyft to court for allegedly misclassifying hundreds of thousands of drivers, depriving them of worker protections and access to safety net programs. https://t.co/4WTi4YMxsy pic.twitter.com/u6yfAluUiV — Xavier Becerra (@AGBecerra) May 5, 2020
Uber and delivery company Postmates filed a suit against California in December over the new AB5 law, claiming it was “unconstitutional.” In February, a judge rejected the companies’ attempt to block the law — though the suit may move forward if the companies choose to appeal.
Uber, Postmates, Lyft and other app-based companies have also put tens of millions of dollars toward a statewide ballot initiative to essentially exempt their drivers from the legislation. The companies claim the legislation doesn’t allow them to provide flexibility to drivers to choose their schedules and hours. California’s attorney general begs to differ.
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“And now, even amid a once-in-a-century pandemic, they have gone to extraordinary lengths to convince the public that their unlawful misclassification scheme is in the public interest,” the AG’s suit reads, citing the companies’ “aggressive public relations campaign,” saying they’re “peddling the lie that driver flexibility and worker protections are somehow legally incompatible.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--The Colorful Way Dearborn Muslims Are Celebrating Ramadan In Isolation

Muslims in Dearborn , Michigan , are observing Ramadan in a way that would have been inconceivable just a few months ago .
Mosques are shuttered , festive dinners with extended family and friends are canceled , and many members of this ethnically and economically diverse community ― one of the largest Muslim populations in the U.S. ― have found themselves on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic .
The organizers have received photos of Ramadan wreaths , string lights tracing the eaves of houses , and stars dangling from porches .
Above the front door of one house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crescent moon that glows in the colors of the rainbow .
Another family used a drone to dramatically film their lights from all angles , sending in a video submission with a holiday song playing in the background .
Hassan Chami , a Dearborn resident and one of the organizers of the competition , said he has enlisted a friend to create a customized 3-D printed sign with the words Ramadan Mubarak , or blessed Ramadan , to place outside his home .
“ I hope it ’ s a tradition where in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and nephews grow up in a community where , when Ramadan comes around , the entire city is lit up , ” he said .
Chami founded the Ramadan Suhoor Festival , a late-night food festival that draws thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims throughout the holy month .
This year , Chami said he had about 40 vendors lined up to dish out halal delicacies ― his biggest number yet .
But he had to cancel the festival due to the virus .
It wasn ’ t the only festive social gathering that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forego .
Smoking hookah in friends ’ garages , chatting around fire pits in mosque parking lots after evening prayers , sipping coffee in the city ’ s Yemini cafes into the early morning hours ― all of these beloved local traditions have been shelved because of the virus .
The region ’ s Muslim communities have been on the front lines of responding to COVID-19 , according to Sally Howell , a scholar of Arab-American history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn .
Muslims in the area are overrepresented in fields such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service and taxi services , she said .
Howell said that in recent years she ’ s noticed an exponential growth in the number of Muslim families in Dearborn decorating their houses for Ramadan .
Last year , she and other members of Halal Metropolis , an arts exhibition , documented this phenomenon for a project .
Howell said that it ’ s common in the Middle East for public areas , such as streets and cafes , to light up during the holy month , but somewhat rarer for people to decorate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks it ’ s standard practice for Muslims in the Middle East to decorate their homes for the holiday ― and that American Muslims are catching up now because they finally have access to Ramadan lights and home decor through Amazon , party stores and local grocery stores .
Machhadie Assi , an event coordinator and youth director for MMCC , said the practice of decorating homes during Ramadan wasn ’ t very popular in Lebanon , where she grew up .
But she said it ’ s a trend that younger American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing how important decorating is during Christmas .
Regardless of how it started , Assi hopes that more Dearborn Muslims will adopt the tradition in the future .
She said she sees the Ramadan Lights Challenge as a way to bring “ contagious , positive energy ” to the community .
The three Muslim organizations will be sharing photos of nominated houses throughout the holy month .
The most creative houses will receive a certificate and a tray of sweets for Eid al-Fitr , the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceremony in 2021 .

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Muslims in Dearborn, Michigan, are observing Ramadan in a way that would have been inconceivable just a few months ago. Mosques are shuttered, festive dinners with extended family and friends are canceled, and many members of this ethnically and economically diverse community ― one of the largest Muslim populations in the U.S. ― have found themselves on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Confronted with these changes, three Michigan Muslim organizations have come up with a way to help community members feel connected during a season of social distancing ― the Ramadan Lights Contest.
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The challenge encourages Muslims in the area to decorate the exteriors of their houses, take photos of their creations, and nominate themselves or neighbors for prizes.
Across the greater Dearborn region, at least 65 families have responded by decorating their homes with lights, lanterns, and banners to celebrate Ramadan, which began on April 23.
Halal Metropolis, the Ramadan Suhoor Festival and the Michigan Muslim Community Council teamed up to organize a trend into a friendly neighborhood competition marking Ramadan. Ramadan Lights Contest
The organizers have received photos of Ramadan wreaths, string lights tracing the eaves of houses, and stars dangling from porches. Above the front door of one house, a family has placed an electric crescent moon that glows in the colors of the rainbow. Another family used a drone to dramatically film their lights from all angles, sending in a video submission with a holiday song playing in the background.
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Hassan Chami, a Dearborn resident and one of the organizers of the competition, said he has enlisted a friend to create a customized 3-D printed sign with the words Ramadan Mubarak, or blessed Ramadan, to place outside his home.
“In the short term, we’re trying to lift everyone’s spirits during COVID-19,” the disease caused by the coronavirus, Chami told HuffPost. “Maybe we’ll have some families driving around the city looking at the lights.”
But Chami has a long-term dream for Dearborn in mind, too.
“I hope it’s a tradition where in the future, my kids and nieces and nephews grow up in a community where, when Ramadan comes around, the entire city is lit up,” he said.
Stars and crescent moons are a main feature of this family's Ramadan decorations. Ramadan Lights Contest
Chami founded the Ramadan Suhoor Festival, a late-night food festival that draws thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims throughout the holy month. This year, Chami said he had about 40 vendors lined up to dish out halal delicacies ― his biggest number yet. But he had to cancel the festival due to the virus.
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It wasn’t the only festive social gathering that Muslims in the area have had to forego. Smoking hookah in friends’ garages, chatting around fire pits in mosque parking lots after evening prayers, sipping coffee in the city’s Yemini cafes into the early morning hours ― all of these beloved local traditions have been shelved because of the virus.
The region’s Muslim communities have been on the front lines of responding to COVID-19, according to Sally Howell, a scholar of Arab-American history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Muslims in the area are overrepresented in fields such as health care, law enforcement, food service and taxi services, she said.
“The Muslim community writ large have been hit very hard by this,” Howell said.
A family in greater Dearborn participates in the Ramadan Lights Contest. Ramadan Lights Contest
Howell said that in recent years she’s noticed an exponential growth in the number of Muslim families in Dearborn decorating their houses for Ramadan. Last year, she and other members of Halal Metropolis, an arts exhibition, documented this phenomenon for a project.
This year, Halal Metropolis, the Ramadan Suhoor Festival, and the Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC), an umbrella organization for the state’s Muslim groups, teamed up to organize this trend into a friendly neighborhood competition.
Advertisement
Howell said that it’s common in the Middle East for public areas, such as streets and cafes, to light up during the holy month, but somewhat rarer for people to decorate their own houses. Chami said he thinks it’s standard practice for Muslims in the Middle East to decorate their homes for the holiday ― and that American Muslims are catching up now because they finally have access to Ramadan lights and home decor through Amazon, party stores and local grocery stores.
Machhadie Assi, an event coordinator and youth director for MMCC, said the practice of decorating homes during Ramadan wasn’t very popular in Lebanon, where she grew up. But she said it’s a trend that younger American Muslims are beginning to adapt, after seeing how important decorating is during Christmas.
A color-changing crescent moon hangs outside a family's house as part of its Ramadan Lights contest submission. Ramadan Lights Contest
Regardless of how it started, Assi hopes that more Dearborn Muslims will adopt the tradition in the future. She said she sees the Ramadan Lights Challenge as a way to bring “contagious, positive energy” to the community.
“Ramadan is a very uplifting month, so hopefully this light will represent the enlightenment of Ramadan,” she said.
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The three Muslim organizations will be sharing photos of nominated houses throughout the holy month. The most creative houses will receive a certificate and a tray of sweets for Eid al-Fitr, the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. The homes will be recognized during a ceremony in 2021.
Howell said she also hopes the challenge will become an annual tradition ― and that it will eventually be recognized by Dearborn’s local city beautification group, which awards prizes for the city’s best Christmas decorations every year.
In an era of increased surveillance and a time when Islamophobic rhetoric is spewed from the highest offices in the land, draping lights for Ramadan is a way for Dearborn’s Muslims to celebrate their religious identities and make their presence known, Howell said.
“They’re saying, ‘Here in this space, we’re going to be ourselves, we’re not going to worry so much about what other people think. This is who we are,’” she said.
Lights celebrating Ramadan decorate a house in greater Dearborn. Ramadan Lights Contest


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--‘I Have A Lot' Going On: Trump Again Deflects Blame For Medical Supplies Shortage

President Donald Trump once again deflected blame for his administration ’ s response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 1.2 million people across the country , saying he had been too busy with probes into his conduct as president to ensure the federal stockpile of medical supplies was prepared for a pandemic .
“ Well , I ’ ll be honest , I have a lot of things going on , ” Trump told ABC News anchor David Muir on Tuesday .
“ We had a lot of people that refused to allow the country to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time on Russia , Russia , Russia .
That turned out to be a total hoax .
Then they did Ukraine , Ukraine , and that was a total hoax .
Then they impeached the president of the United States for absolutely no reason.
” Trump has regularly cast blame on those in the White House before him , saying falsely that he was left with “ empty cupboards ” three years ago when he replaced then-President Barack Obama .
The country has what ’ s known as the Strategic National Stockpile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the face of biological or natural disasters , the country ’ s largest supply of such gear .
It was described as an $ 8 billion armory just last November .
The Washington Post toured some of the facilities in 2018 , more than a year into Trump ’ s term , and described hundreds of thousands of shrink-wrapped boxes that , among other things , contained enough vaccines to protect every American from smallpox .
But the stockpile had some shortcomings , and face mask supplies hadn ’ t been substantially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Medical facilities across the country have since struggled to access personal protective equipment like gowns and gloves throughout the pandemic , and governors have been forced to plead or dramatically overpay to bolster their supply of ventilators .
The U.S. government ’ s emergency stockpile was close to running out in early April , The Washington Post reported at the time , just as cases of the coronavirus began to surge across the nation .
And thousands of the emergency ventilators didn ’ t work due to a maintenance issue .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic refuting doctors ’ claims that they didn ’ t have adequate protective gear , going so far as to question the use of face masks by hospitals treating an influx of patients .
The Associated Press reported in March that former Obama administration officials said Trump ’ s administration had effectively “ wasted ” months in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak before ordering critical supplies needed to help treat infected Americans .
More than 1.2 million people have now been infected with the virus in the United States and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president on medical professionals ’ concerns as the White House urges some areas of the U.S. to reopen to kickstart the economy , including fears there could be a resurgence in cases and an uptick in deaths .
“ It ’ s possible there will be some , because you won ’ t be locked into an apartment or a house or whatever it is , ” Trump said .
“ But at the same time , we ’ re going to practice social distancing .
We ’ re going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be doing a lot of things that we ’ ve learned to do.
” He continued : “ Will some people be affected ?
Yes .
Will some people be affected badly ?
Yes .
But we have to get our country open and we have to get it open soon.
” The president went on to tout his efforts to close the country ’ s border with China , saying he did so against the advice of health officials and to the boon of the country .
“ Let me tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you want to use that term , I banned people from coming into China , ” he said .
“ I came in and what I did is , I said against many people , including Anthony Fauci , who I like very much , including Deborah , who I like very much , the doctors , and many other people… ”

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President Donald Trump once again deflected blame for his administration’s response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 1.2 million people across the country, saying he had been too busy with probes into his conduct as president to ensure the federal stockpile of medical supplies was prepared for a pandemic.
“Well, I’ll be honest, I have a lot of things going on,” Trump told ABC News anchor David Muir on Tuesday. “We had a lot of people that refused to allow the country to be successful. They wasted a lot of time on Russia, Russia, Russia. That turned out to be a total hoax. Then they did Ukraine, Ukraine, and that was a total hoax. Then they impeached the president of the United States for absolutely no reason.”
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ABC: You're three years into your term. What did you do when you became president to restock those cupboards that you say are bare?
TRUMP: "Well, I'll be honest, uh, I have a lot of things going on." pic.twitter.com/7l9v3dgrOz — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2020
Trump has regularly cast blame on those in the White House before him, saying falsely that he was left with “empty cupboards” three years ago when he replaced then-President Barack Obama. The country has what’s known as the Strategic National Stockpile of medical equipment to help protect Americans in the face of biological or natural disasters, the country’s largest supply of such gear. It was described as an $8 billion armory just last November.
The Washington Post toured some of the facilities in 2018, more than a year into Trump’s term, and described hundreds of thousands of shrink-wrapped boxes that, among other things, contained enough vaccines to protect every American from smallpox. But the stockpile had some shortcomings, and face mask supplies hadn’t been substantially replenished since the H1N1 pandemic in 2009.
Medical facilities across the country have since struggled to access personal protective equipment like gowns and gloves throughout the pandemic, and governors have been forced to plead or dramatically overpay to bolster their supply of ventilators. The U.S. government’s emergency stockpile was close to running out in early April, The Washington Post reported at the time, just as cases of the coronavirus began to surge across the nation. And thousands of the emergency ventilators didn’t work due to a maintenance issue.
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Trump also spent the early weeks of the pandemic refuting doctors’ claims that they didn’t have adequate protective gear, going so far as to question the use of face masks by hospitals treating an influx of patients. The Associated Press reported in March that former Obama administration officials said Trump’s administration had effectively “wasted” months in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak before ordering critical supplies needed to help treat infected Americans.
More than 1.2 million people have now been infected with the virus in the United States and more than 70,000 have died.
Muir pressed the president on medical professionals’ concerns as the White House urges some areas of the U.S. to reopen to kickstart the economy, including fears there could be a resurgence in cases and an uptick in deaths.
“It’s possible there will be some, because you won’t be locked into an apartment or a house or whatever it is,” Trump said. “But at the same time, we’re going to practice social distancing. We’re going to be washing hands, we’re going to be doing a lot of things that we’ve learned to do.”
He continued: “Will some people be affected? Yes. Will some people be affected badly? Yes. But we have to get our country open and we have to get it open soon.”
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"I banned people from coming into China" -- while trying to defend his February comment that the coronavirus would go away on its own, Trump confuses which country he's president of and comes across as a parody of an incompetent leader pic.twitter.com/dn7JzILYSP — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2020
The president went on to tout his efforts to close the country’s border with China, saying he did so against the advice of health officials and to the boon of the country.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--‘Perfect Metaphor’: Twitter Users Mock Bonkers Music Choice At Trump Mask Event

President Donald Trump ’ s visit Tuesday to a Honeywell plant in Arizona that makes masks was marked by some unusual music choices amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Trump did not wear a mask during the visit , but he did don goggles .
And as he looked over a bin full of materials , the song “ Live and Let Die ” ― the Guns N ’ Roses cover of the Paul McCartney and Wings tune written for a James Bond film of the same name ― blared over the sound system .
It ’ s not clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House or Honeywell .
However , the Washington Times notes the tune is often featured at Trump rallies .
Other songs played during the visit ― including “ God Bless the U.S.A. , ” “ Eye of the Tiger ” and “ You Can ’ t Always Get What You Want ” ― are also staples of Trump ’ s political events .
But the choice of “ Live and Let Die ” in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic ― and on a day the president conceded the number of deaths could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― struck some as the wrong note ... but perhaps a perfect metaphor : I can think of no better metaphor for this presidency than Donald Trump not wearing a face mask to a face mask factory while the song “ Live and Let Die ” blares in the background .
pic.twitter.com/mJzU1HW7HA — Jimmy Kimmel ( @ jimmykimmel ) May 5 , 2020 I 'm sorry , but I just was n't expecting this to be the day Trump went to a mask factory without a mask to touch all the masks while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the loudspeaker .
https : //t.co/UdfuvculCm — April Wolfe ( @ AWolfeful ) May 5 , 2020 '' Live and Let Die . ''
That 's the song that Trump had pumped into the mask factory during his visit .
Seriously .
Like , seriously.pic.twitter.com/zidsZhfxmu — Brian Tyler Cohen ( @ briantylercohen ) May 6 , 2020 '' Live and Let Die blasting a @ honeywell for @ realDonaldTrump . ''
Perfect metaphor `` We live and let them die . ''
the @ GOP governors , Trump , their billionaire donors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
https : //t.co/RvNhFewJLQ — McBlondeLand ( @ McBlondeLand ) May 5 , 2020 Someone at the Honeywell factory played “ Live and Let Die ” while Trump walked around the mask plant without a mask today .
pic.twitter.com/mmJVLgFubJ — Joshua Potash ( @ JoshuaPotash ) May 5 , 2020 'Live and Let Die ' by Guns N ' Roses blares after @ realDonaldTrump says the country must reopen even though some will be `` affected badly . ''
Subtle .
pic.twitter.com/gLugKzygx1 — Chris Dignam ( @ Chris_Dignam ) May 5 , @

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President Donald Trump’s visit Tuesday to a Honeywell plant in Arizona that makes masks was marked by some unusual music choices amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Trump did not wear a mask during the visit, but he did don goggles.
And as he looked over a bin full of materials, the song “Live and Let Die” ― the Guns N’ Roses cover of the Paul McCartney and Wings tune written for a James Bond film of the same name ― blared over the sound system.
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It’s not clear who selected the music, the White House or Honeywell. However, the Washington Times notes the tune is often featured at Trump rallies.
Other songs played during the visit ― including “God Bless the U.S.A.,” “Eye of the Tiger” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” ― are also staples of Trump’s political events.
But the choice of “Live and Let Die” in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic ― and on a day the president conceded the number of deaths could rise as sections of the country reopen ― struck some as the wrong note... but perhaps a perfect metaphor:
I can think of no better metaphor for this presidency than Donald Trump not wearing a face mask to a face mask factory while the song “Live and Let Die” blares in the background. pic.twitter.com/mJzU1HW7HA — Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 5, 2020
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I'm sorry, but I just wasn't expecting this to be the day Trump went to a mask factory without a mask to touch all the masks while "Live and Let Die" blasts over the loudspeaker. https://t.co/UdfuvculCm — April Wolfe (@AWolfeful) May 5, 2020
Live and let die... No. really. https://t.co/IIaZmNXZ3M — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 6, 2020
Oh wow. Perfect metaphor!!
Live and Let Die https://t.co/v6QswpCvt5 — Free Bird Boomer (@TearsInHeaven09) May 5, 2020
"Live and Let Die." That's the song that Trump had pumped into the mask factory during his visit. Seriously. Like, seriously.pic.twitter.com/zidsZhfxmu — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 6, 2020
"Live and Let Die blasting a @honeywell for @realDonaldTrump."
Perfect metaphor "We live and let them die." the @GOP governors, Trump, their billionaire donors, Big Banks and Big Corp CEOs." https://t.co/RvNhFewJLQ — McBlondeLand (@McBlondeLand) May 5, 2020
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Someone at the Honeywell factory played “Live and Let Die” while Trump walked around the mask plant without a mask today.
pic.twitter.com/mmJVLgFubJ — Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) May 5, 2020
'Live and Let Die' by Guns N' Roses blares after @realDonaldTrump says the country must reopen even though some will be "affected badly." Subtle. pic.twitter.com/gLugKzygx1 — Chris Dignam (@Chris_Dignam) May 5, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-06--Anderson Cooper, Chris Hayes Nail Real Reason For Disbanding Coronavirus Task Force

CNN ’ s Anderson Cooper and MSNBC ’ s Chris Hayes put the looming decision down to one thing ― the 2020 election .
“ It seems like they don ’ t want their fingerprints on this , ” said Cooper .
“ It seems like the federal government , the administration , is trying to pass the buck , pass the responsibility onto the states , onto mayors , onto governors , to anyone other than themselves so that they won ’ t take the blame come election time , ” he added .
“ It seems like they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , ” says @ andersoncooper on WH plan to wind down the coronavirus task force .
“ It seems like the…the administration is trying to pass the buck…to the states , onto mayors , onto governors to anyone other than themselves.
” pic.twitter.com/gJB8z81pod — Anderson Cooper 360° ( @ AC360 ) May 6 , 2020 Hayes , meanwhile , noted the “ incredible disconnect from the rhetoric from the president ” who continues to downplay the severity of the pandemic in the U.S. , which has so far killed upwards of 71,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going up .
We don ’ t really know for sure , but things may be even getting worse , ” he said .
“ The mission is obviously not accomplished , and it ’ s becoming clearer and clearer that Donald Trump never even really tried to accomplish it , ” added Hayes .
“ He just wants to open up the country so the economy can come back and he can be reelected .
”

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CNN’s Anderson Cooper and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes put the looming decision down to one thing ― the 2020 election.
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“It seems like they don’t want their fingerprints on this,” said Cooper.
“It seems like the federal government, the administration, is trying to pass the buck, pass the responsibility onto the states, onto mayors, onto governors, to anyone other than themselves so that they won’t take the blame come election time,” he added.
Check out the clip here:
“It seems like they don’t want their fingerprints on this,” says @andersoncooper on WH plan to wind down the coronavirus task force.
“It seems like the…the administration is trying to pass the buck…to the states, onto mayors, onto governors to anyone other than themselves.” pic.twitter.com/gJB8z81pod — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) May 6, 2020
Hayes, meanwhile, noted the “incredible disconnect from the rhetoric from the president” who continues to downplay the severity of the pandemic in the U.S., which has so far killed upwards of 71,000 people nationwide.
“Newly reported cases are going up. We don’t really know for sure, but things may be even getting worse,” he said.
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“The mission is obviously not accomplished, and it’s becoming clearer and clearer that Donald Trump never even really tried to accomplish it,” added Hayes. “He just wants to open up the country so the economy can come back and he can be reelected.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-06--GOP Strategist Taunts Trump After Twitter Meltdown: We Found Your 'Weak Spot'

President Donald Trump flipped out over the latest ad by a group of his conservative critics .
And they ’ re just thrilled about it .
“ We have known all along what a weak man Donald Trump is , how mentally infirm he is , how easily he can be set off , ” longtime Republican strategist Rick Wilson , a co-founder of the Lincoln Project , told Lawrence O ’ Donnell on Tuesday .
Wilson said the organization found the president ’ s “ weak spot ” in the ad , which takes a concept from an old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reagan and turns it around on Trump .
Reagan ’ s 1984 reelection ad was called “ Morning in America , ” and claimed that he had made the nation “ prouder and stronger and better.
” The Lincoln Project ’ s anti-Trump ad is titled “ Mourning in America ” and focuses on the loss of lives due to the novel coronavirus .
The spot also blames Trump for creating a “ weaker and sicker and poorer ” nation .
Trump attacked the group in a series of tweets Monday evening and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking to reporters .
“ He demonstrated for 12 straight hours in a row that he could be compared to Ronald Reagan , had the truth told about it and he would absolutely lose his damn mind , ” Wilson said .
“ We expected this ad to hit , ” he added .
“ We did not expect him to behave in the completely maniacally way he behaved all day today , but here we are.
” See more of Wilson ’ s conversation with O ’ Donnell above .

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President Donald Trump flipped out over the latest ad by a group of his conservative critics. And they’re just thrilled about it.
“We have known all along what a weak man Donald Trump is, how mentally infirm he is, how easily he can be set off,” longtime Republican strategist Rick Wilson, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, told Lawrence O’Donnell on Tuesday.
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Wilson said the organization found the president’s “weak spot” in the ad, which takes a concept from an old campaign ad used by former President Ronald Reagan and turns it around on Trump.
Reagan’s 1984 reelection ad was called “Morning in America,” and claimed that he had made the nation “prouder and stronger and better.” The Lincoln Project’s anti-Trump ad is titled “Mourning in America” and focuses on the loss of lives due to the novel coronavirus. The spot also blames Trump for creating a “weaker and sicker and poorer” nation.
Trump attacked the group in a series of tweets Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon, and then again when speaking to reporters.
“He demonstrated for 12 straight hours in a row that he could be compared to Ronald Reagan, had the truth told about it and he would absolutely lose his damn mind,” Wilson said.
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“We expected this ad to hit,” he added. “We did not expect him to behave in the completely maniacally way he behaved all day today, but here we are.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-06--Trump's Baseball Boast Gets A Brutal Fact-Check: 'He Couldn’t F**king Hit'

President Donald Trump has repeatedly bragged about his athletic prowess as a youth , and has even claimed he could ’ ve played Major League Baseball .
“ I was captain of the baseball team , ” Trump told MTV in 2010 .
“ I was supposed to be a professional baseball player .
Fortunately , I decided to go into real estate instead.
” Donald Trump throws out the first pitch before the New York Yankees faced the Houston Astros in 2004 .
But Slate found some of his old stats as a player for the New York Military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scream MLB talent .
Partial records uncovered by the website revealed a .138 batting average over the nine games .
One baseball writer who also worked as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays offered up a blunt assessment when asked if Trump sounded like a prospect .
“ There ’ s no chance , ” said Keith Law of The Athletic , adding : “ You don ’ t hit .138 for some podunk , cold-weather high school playing the worst competition you could possibly imagine .
You wouldn ’ t even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , let alone by pro teams .
That ’ s totally unthinkable .
It ’ s absolutely laughable .
He hit .138 — he couldn ’ t fucking hit , that ’ s pretty clear .
”

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President Donald Trump has repeatedly bragged about his athletic prowess as a youth, and has even claimed he could’ve played Major League Baseball.
“I was captain of the baseball team,” Trump told MTV in 2010. “I was supposed to be a professional baseball player. Fortunately, I decided to go into real estate instead.”
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Donald Trump throws out the first pitch before the New York Yankees faced the Houston Astros in 2004. ASSOCIATED PRESS
But Slate found some of his old stats as a player for the New York Military Academy and they don’t exactly scream MLB talent. Partial records uncovered by the website revealed a .138 batting average over the nine games.
One baseball writer who also worked as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays offered up a blunt assessment when asked if Trump sounded like a prospect.
“There’s no chance,” said Keith Law of The Athletic, adding:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-06--Kushner’s Inexperienced COVID-19 Volunteers Bungled Hunt For Medical Supplies: Reports

A team of volunteers recruited by President Donald Trump ’ s son-in-law Jared Kushner to aid the government ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic has bungled efforts to secure personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for the nation ’ s hospitals and their staff , according to reports Tuesday in The Washington Post and The New York Times .
The volunteer force ― part of a larger coronavirus response team established by Kushner ― has been tasked with vetting possible suppliers for PPE in the face of critical shortages of such equipment at medical facilities nationwide .
The volunteers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their 20s , some fresh out of college ― are then meant to forward the best options to the Federal Emergency Management Agency .
But according to the two reports — both of which cited a whistleblower complaint submitted last month to the House Oversight Committee , as well as government officials familiar with the volunteer group ’ s work — the volunteers have been largely ineffective in securing this life-saving equipment for the government .
One problem cited in the whistleblower complaint is the volunteers ’ lack of experience .
Though some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little to no experience in health care or government procurement procedures .
One infectious disease physician told the Post that the “ danger ” with such inexperience is “ there may be decisions being made that are not fully informed and that ’ s going to lead to downstream effects on the response.
” The whistleblower , a former volunteer , said in the complaint that while their former colleagues were “ competent , hard-working and intelligent , ” the team had “ frankly ... little to show ” for their work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragic proportions and there is an urgent need for an effective , efficient and bold response , ” the whistleblower complaint said , according to the Post .
“ From my few weeks as a volunteer , I believe we are falling short .
I am writing to alert my representatives of these challenges and to ask that they do everything possible to help front-line health-care workers and other Americans in need.
” “ We represent a smaller procurement team than at most midsized companies despite the magnitude of the crisis , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America deserves a larger , better-funded response .
The team generally works 12+ hour days , seven days per week , but frankly has little to show for it.
” One man with no apparent health care experience who tweeted at President Trump about ventilators received $ 69 million from the state of New York three days after posting the tweet , BuzzFeed News previously reported .
Kushner ’ s volunteers had a role to play in the man receiving the money , the Times said .
No ventilators were ever delivered .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ promising leads were reportedly ignored by the volunteer team .
Jeffrey Hendricks , a South Carolina doctor who said he could help source millions of masks from established suppliers , told the Times that he was repeatedly ignored by the volunteer force .
The whistleblower complaint also said “ minimal attempts at social distancing are taken ” by the volunteer force .
The volunteers additionally engaged in other questionable practices like using personal email accounts when communicating with potential suppliers , the whistleblower claimed .
In a statement to the Post , Kushner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but was nonetheless tapped to be a member of Trump ’ s coronavirus task force , defended the work the volunteer team has done .
In an April survey conducted by the group GetUsPPE.org , almost 1,000 medical facilities surveyed across 47 states and Washington , D.C. , said they had no supplies left of at least one form of PPE .

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A team of volunteers recruited by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to aid the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has bungled efforts to secure personal protective equipment (PPE) for the nation’s hospitals and their staff, according to reports Tuesday in The Washington Post and The New York Times.
The volunteer force ― part of a larger coronavirus response team established by Kushner ― has been tasked with vetting possible suppliers for PPE in the face of critical shortages of such equipment at medical facilities nationwide.
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The volunteers ― most of whom are reportedly in their 20s, some fresh out of college ― are then meant to forward the best options to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
But according to the two reports — both of which cited a whistleblower complaint submitted last month to the House Oversight Committee, as well as government officials familiar with the volunteer group’s work — the volunteers have been largely ineffective in securing this life-saving equipment for the government.
One problem cited in the whistleblower complaint is the volunteers’ lack of experience. Though some have relevant expertise, most reportedly have little to no experience in health care or government procurement procedures.
One infectious disease physician told the Post that the “danger” with such inexperience is “there may be decisions being made that are not fully informed and that’s going to lead to downstream effects on the response.”
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The whistleblower, a former volunteer, said in the complaint that while their former colleagues were “competent, hard-working and intelligent,” the team had “frankly ... little to show” for their work.
“Americans are facing a crisis of tragic proportions and there is an urgent need for an effective, efficient and bold response,” the whistleblower complaint said, according to the Post. “From my few weeks as a volunteer, I believe we are falling short. I am writing to alert my representatives of these challenges and to ask that they do everything possible to help front-line health-care workers and other Americans in need.”
“We represent a smaller procurement team than at most midsized companies despite the magnitude of the crisis,” the complaint added. “I believe America deserves a larger, better-funded response. The team generally works 12+ hour days, seven days per week, but frankly has little to show for it.”
NEW from me & colleagues: Jared Kushner put bewildered 20-something volunteers with no disaster or medical experience at the forefront of PPE sourcing. The result: “bureaucratic cycles of chaos,” according to one who became a whistleblower.https://t.co/Wd3QLrt4sB pic.twitter.com/exJ08XrRAs — jodikantor (@jodikantor) May 6, 2020
According to the Times, the volunteer force was also told to prioritize leads from so-called “VIPs,” which included “political allies and associates of President Trump.”
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Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, for instance, reportedly had his suggestion of a potential PPE supplier prioritized, as did Tana Goertz, a former “Apprentice” contestant and current campaign chair of Women for Trump.
One man with no apparent health care experience who tweeted at President Trump about ventilators received $69 million from the state of New York three days after posting the tweet, BuzzFeed News previously reported. Kushner’s volunteers had a role to play in the man receiving the money, the Times said. No ventilators were ever delivered.
On the other hand, potentially more promising leads were reportedly ignored by the volunteer team. Jeffrey Hendricks, a South Carolina doctor who said he could help source millions of masks from established suppliers, told the Times that he was repeatedly ignored by the volunteer force.
“When I offered them viable leads at viable prices from an approved vendor, they kept passing me down the line and made terrible deals instead,” Hendricks said.
The whistleblower complaint also said “minimal attempts at social distancing are taken” by the volunteer force. The volunteers additionally engaged in other questionable practices like using personal email accounts when communicating with potential suppliers, the whistleblower claimed.
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In a statement to the Post, Kushner, who has no public health experience but was nonetheless tapped to be a member of Trump’s coronavirus task force, defended the work the volunteer team has done.
“The bottom line is that this program sourced tens of millions of masks and essential PPE in record time and Americans who needed ventilators received ventilators,” Kushner said. “These volunteers are true patriots.”
"The document alleges that the team responsible for PPE had little success in helping the government secure such equipment, in part because none of the team’s members had significant experience in health care, procurement or supply-chain operations"https://t.co/KdSYgF1miK — Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) May 5, 2020
News of the volunteer group’s alleged failings follows months of PPE shortages across the U.S.
In an April survey conducted by the group GetUsPPE.org, almost 1,000 medical facilities surveyed across 47 states and Washington, D.C., said they had no supplies left of at least one form of PPE.
On Tuesday, Trump rejected any blame for the shortage of medical supplies throughout the country, telling ABC News anchor David Muir that: “I’ll be honest, I have a lot of things going on.”
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The president went on to lambaste efforts to probe his dealings with Russia and his impeachment and built on past falsehoods that former President Barack Obama had left him with “empty cupboards.”
In fact, Trump spent the early weeks of the pandemic refuting claims from doctors across the nation that they didn’t have adequate protective gear, and even questioned the rate some hospitals were going through face masks to treat an influx of ill patients.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--Rand Paul Says He's Immune To COVID-19 Despite Lack Of Research

Sen. Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) decided not to wear a protective mask when he returned to the Senate for work this week , claiming that he has immunity from COVID-19 after getting infected with it in late March and recovering .
“ I have immunity .
I ’ ve already had the virus , so I can ’ t get it again , ” Paul said when asked by reporters why he wasn ’ t wearing a mask as suggested by federal guidelines .
“ And I can ’ t give it to anybody.
” Paul was the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On March 22 , his office announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and had placed himself in quarantine .
Dr. Megan L. Ranney , an emergency physician and professor at Brown University , told HuffPost that medical researchers do not know when people become non-infectious to others .
Ranney also pointed out that some health care workers are required to test negative for the virus twice before being allowed to return to work .
“ Regardless of whether he has been infected or not , he is a political leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for guidance .
He owes it to all of us to model best public health practice ― in other words , to wear a mask in public , ” Ranney said in an email .
“ Additionally , at this point , we don ’ t yet know at what point people become non-infectious .
Many health care workers are being required to have 2 negative nasopharyngeal swabs prior to going back to work.
” being a MD is how Rand Paul identifies himself in his official Senate role .
But what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity is not medical science as of now .
We also do n't know how immunity , if it does exist , may effect being a carrier who could spread the virus to others pic.twitter.com/Uru3WoyM8u — Edward-Isaac Dovere ( @ IsaacDovere ) May 5 , 2020 Researchers are still trying to understand how exactly the deadly virus spreads from person to person .
And though initial studies have shown that some people who have recovered from COVID-19 are unlikely to get reinfected , there is no definitive proof that they are immune or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late April , the World Health Organization warned against taking action or enacting policy on the theory that those who have already been infected by the virus are now immune to it because that is still unproven .
“ There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection , ” the organization said in a statement on Apri 24 .
When asked about the criticism of Paul ’ s lack of a mask , the senator ’ s office directed HuffPost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Paul said that “ modern science disagrees ” with his critics .
Paul also partially quoted Dr. Anthony Fauci , the top U.S. infectious disease expert , who said : “ We know with infections like this , that at least for a reasonable period , you ’ re gon na have antibodies that are protective.
” “ There ’ s an assumption — a reasonable assumption — that when you have an antibody that you are protected against reinfection , but that has not been proven for this particular virus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he told ABC News on April 24 .
Fauci has also said that many of the antibody tests that companies are making to tell whether people have immunity for the virus still need to be “ validated and calibrated.
” On the same day that Paul had tested positive for the virus , he had gone to the gym with three other Republican senators instead of isolating himself at home .
The Washington Post reported that he had even used the Senate ’ s pool after he was tested .

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) decided not to wear a protective mask when he returned to the Senate for work this week, claiming that he has immunity from COVID-19 after getting infected with it in late March and recovering.
“I have immunity. I’ve already had the virus, so I can’t get it again,” Paul said when asked by reporters why he wasn’t wearing a mask as suggested by federal guidelines. “And I can’t give it to anybody.”
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He added: “So of all the people you’ll meet here, I’m about the only safe person in Washington.”
Paul was the first known senator to have contracted the virus. On March 22, his office announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and had placed himself in quarantine.
Paul was asymptomatic and had tested “out of an abundance of caution,” his office reported at the time.
The senator’s lack of a mask drew criticism from people who accused Paul of putting his colleagues and others in Washington at risk of being infected.
Dr. Megan L. Ranney, an emergency physician and professor at Brown University, told HuffPost that medical researchers do not know when people become non-infectious to others. Ranney also pointed out that some health care workers are required to test negative for the virus twice before being allowed to return to work.
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Ranney also said that Paul should be setting a better example for his constituents by wearing a mask either way.
“Regardless of whether he has been infected or not, he is a political leader, and his constituents look to him for guidance. He owes it to all of us to model best public health practice ― in other words, to wear a mask in public,” Ranney said in an email.
“Additionally, at this point, we don’t yet know at what point people become non-infectious. Many health care workers are being required to have 2 negative nasopharyngeal swabs prior to going back to work.”
Many others also pointed out that his claim of immunity has not yet been proved.
The mask is meant to protect everyone else and Senator Paul could very well still be shedding virus.@RandPaul is truly the walking embodiment of how selfish libertarianism actually is. https://t.co/C5VKKVaHrM — Kendall Brown (@kendallybrown) May 5, 2020
Why is Rand Paul, a doctor, assuming something that's scientifically unfounded? https://t.co/gVw9ritJml — Eric Geller (@ericgeller) May 5, 2020
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being a MD is how Rand Paul identifies himself in his official Senate role. But what he's talking about with saying he has immunity is not medical science as of now. We also don't know how immunity, if it does exist, may effect being a carrier who could spread the virus to others pic.twitter.com/Uru3WoyM8u — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) May 5, 2020
Researchers are still trying to understand how exactly the deadly virus spreads from person to person. And though initial studies have shown that some people who have recovered from COVID-19 are unlikely to get reinfected, there is no definitive proof that they are immune or how long immunity would last.
In late April, the World Health Organization warned against taking action or enacting policy on the theory that those who have already been infected by the virus are now immune to it because that is still unproven.
“There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,” the organization said in a statement on Apri 24.
Ranney also emphasized that antibody tests were “unreliable, and the value of antibodies is still under debate.”
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When asked about the criticism of Paul’s lack of a mask, the senator’s office directed HuffPost to his tweets posted later Tuesday in which Paul said that “modern science disagrees” with his critics.
Paul also partially quoted Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, who said: “We know with infections like this, that at least for a reasonable period, you’re gonna have antibodies that are protective.”
However, Fauci also said at a later date in April that it “has not been proven” that infected coronavirus patients have immunity.
“There’s an assumption — a reasonable assumption — that when you have an antibody that you are protected against reinfection, but that has not been proven for this particular virus. It’s true for other viruses,” he told ABC News on April 24.
Fauci has also said that many of the antibody tests that companies are making to tell whether people have immunity for the virus still need to be “validated and calibrated.”
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The fake news can’t stand that some people might not need to submit to the new authoritarianism of the left because they are immune to coronavirus. Modern science disagrees. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 5, 2020
Modern medicine shows us that immunity is based on having antibodies. Why do they think medicine is trying so hard to get a coronavirus vaccine? Immunity. I have taken an antibody test and am positive for long term Covid-19 antibodies. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 5, 2020
Dr. Fauci: “We know with infections like this, that at least for a reasonable period, you're gonna have antibodies that are protective...if we get infected in February/March and recover, next September, October, that person who's infected — I believe — is going to be protected." — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 5, 2020
“To be clear, most experts do think an initial infection from the coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, will grant people immunity to the virus for some amount of time. That is the case with acute infections from other viruses, including other coronaviruses.”
(https://t.co/aQzLGVrjXE) — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 5, 2020
This isn’t the first time Paul is being accused of being careless when it comes to potentially spreading COVID-19.
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On the same day that Paul had tested positive for the virus, he had gone to the gym with three other Republican senators instead of isolating himself at home. The Washington Post reported that he had even used the Senate’s pool after he was tested.
At that time, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) criticized Paul for failing to quarantine himself after testing positive.
Sinema called it “absolutely irresponsible,” adding that his behavior was endangering others.
McSally agreed, suggesting that senators needed to “model appropriate coronavirus behavior.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--Ruth Bader Ginsberg In Hospital 'Resting' After Gallbladder Treatment

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in the hospital Tuesday receiving treatment for a gallbladder condition , according to a Supreme Court release .
Ginsburg was “ resting comfortably ” after receiving “ non-surgical ” treatment for acute cholecystitis , a benign condition , at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore , Maryland , the Supreme Court said .
The justice is expected to participate in oral arguments with the court by phone from the hospital on Wednesday .
New from SCOTUS : Justice Ginsburg is in the hospital with a gallbladder condition .
She has undergone a successful procedure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning from her hospital room pic.twitter.com/QXYByFc6Lq — Steven Mazie ( @ stevenmazie ) May 6 , 2020 Ginsburg , 87 , has had a series of health issues in recent years .
In August 2019 , the justice completed radiation treatment for a cancerous tumor on her pancreas .
Early that year , she ’ d missed several weeks in court after recovering from lung cancer surgery in December 2018 — the first time in her career on the Supreme Court that she ’ d been absent from oral arguments .
She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer in 2009 .
However , this year she has started “ cancer-free.
” Ginsburg is known for regularly working out and for her rapid returns to work on the court even as she recovers from health problems — as we expect to see with her return to oral arguments Wednesday .

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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in the hospital Tuesday receiving treatment for a gallbladder condition, according to a Supreme Court release.
Ginsburg was “resting comfortably” after receiving “non-surgical” treatment for acute cholecystitis, a benign condition, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, the Supreme Court said. The justice is expected to participate in oral arguments with the court by phone from the hospital on Wednesday.
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New from SCOTUS: Justice Ginsburg is in the hospital with a gallbladder condition. She has undergone a successful procedure and will participate in oral arguments tomorrow morning from her hospital room pic.twitter.com/QXYByFc6Lq — Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) May 6, 2020
Ginsburg, 87, has had a series of health issues in recent years. In August 2019, the justice completed radiation treatment for a cancerous tumor on her pancreas. Early that year, she’d missed several weeks in court after recovering from lung cancer surgery in December 2018 — the first time in her career on the Supreme Court that she’d been absent from oral arguments. She also survived colon cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009. However, this year she has started “cancer-free.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--Win Or Lose, Trump’s Top Campaign Aides Are Raking In The Cash

When campaign senior adviser and presidential daughter-in-law Lara Trump discussed a possible salary for just-departed White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman in December 2017 , she told the former contestant on Donald Trump ’ s “ Apprentice ” reality show : “ The only thing that we have to consider , where we ’ re talking about salary as far as the campaign is concerned , is that , as you know , everything is public , ” Lara Trump said , according to a recording Manigault Newman made and later shared with NBC .
“ And all the money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly from donors , small-dollar donors for the most part.
” How many others are paid in a similarly secret manner is not publicly knowable .
For example , Trump ’ s first 2016 campaign manager , Corey Lewandowski , told HuffPost at a February campaign rally that he had rejoined the campaign last year as a senior adviser ― the same title held by both Lara Trump and Guilfoyle .
But he also does not appear in FEC records , and neither he nor the campaign would respond to HuffPost queries about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump ’ s campaign , though , appears to be his campaign manager , Parscale .
Up until last year , when media reports of how much money was flowing through his companies angered Trump and the RNC set up a separate shell company to route advertising dollars , Parscale ’ s businesses were receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars per month from the various reelection committees .
It was a similar arrangement to what he had in 2016 , when his firm received $ 93.9 million for internet ads , fundraising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in spending later , Trump still unpopular

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WASHINGTON ― The bad news for President Donald Trump: He may well lose reelection later this year.
The good news for his top campaign staff: They will wind up really rich either way.
Brad Parscale, whom Trump named to run his 2020 effort in early 2018, has already collected $38.9 million through his companies from Trump’s various reelection committees between January 2017 and the end of March, according to a HuffPost analysis of Federal Election Commission filings.
Gerrit Lansing’s payment processing company, which he started while a staffer at the National Republican Congressional Committee and continued to run while he worked at the Republican National Committee, has taken in $1.7 million. Katie Walsh, briefly a Trump White House aide and a former RNC chief of staff, has received $877,424 through her firms. And Richard Walters, who at age 30 is the current chief of staff, makes $244,943 a year in salary but last year was paid an additional $135,000 through his own consulting firm. Since the Trump presidency began, he has been paid a total of $755,324.
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For Parscale, who just a few years ago was designing websites in San Antonio for Trump’s properties, among other clients, the sudden wealth has afforded him a $2.4 million waterfront house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a pair of million-dollar condos, a brand new $400,000 boat, and another half-million dollars in luxury cars, including a Range Rover and a Ferrari.
“This thing has been a large criminal enterprise. It’s like that scene in the ‘Goodfellas’ after the heist,” said Republican consultant Stuart Stevens, a veteran of the George W. Bush and Mitt Romney presidential campaigns. “Dishing out furs to mob bosses’ girlfriends and wives.”
Lansing, Walsh and Walters did not respond to queries from HuffPost, although RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel responded on Walters’ behalf and said he was “doing a fantastic job” and was “underpaid for his position.”
Parscale asked that detailed questions be emailed to him. HuffPost did so, but he did not respond.
Glenn McCall, an RNC member from South Carolina and chairman of the party’s budget committee, referred questions back to RNC staff. He acknowledged that his panel is technically responsible for the party’s spending but said he had no details. “We just approve a budget as a whole,” he said.
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More broadly, the Trump reelection effort’s lavish spending highlights a singular irony: Better funded and having spent more money than any previous presidential campaign to this point in the election cycle, it has nevertheless been unable to improve Trump’s polling numbers with the election now just six months away.
“All organizations reflect the person at the top. That person’s values. And that’s the problem for the Trump campaign. Everything reflects off their sun god,” said John Weaver, a Republican consultant who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich.
“All organizations reflect the person at the top. That person’s values. And that’s the problem for the Trump campaign. Everything reflects off their sun god.” - John Weaver, Republican consultant
The Trump campaign and the RNC have, since he took office, raised a combined $889 million and spent $746 million. Despite this, Trump remains as unpopular as he ever was.
Indeed, at the time Parscale took charge in February 2018, Trump’s approval rating stood at 42%. In late January, before the severity of the coronavirus outbreak became clear to most Americans, it stood at 44% ― dangerous territory for a president seeking reelection.
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“That is exactly the nut of the issue. They’ve exhausted vast amounts of donor resources,” said Rick Wilson, a longtime Florida Republican consultant and a prominent Trump critic. “Their advocacy effort is so bad because his record is so bad. They’re having to spend just to stay in place.”
Hiding the money
When campaign senior adviser and presidential daughter-in-law Lara Trump discussed a possible salary for just-departed White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman in December 2017, she told the former contestant on Donald Trump’s “Apprentice” reality show: “The only thing that we have to consider, where we’re talking about salary as far as the campaign is concerned, is that, as you know, everything is public,” Lara Trump said, according to a recording Manigault Newman made and later shared with NBC. “And all the money that we raise that pays salaries is directly from donors, small-dollar donors for the most part.”
Manigault Newman wound up not taking a campaign job and instead wrote a tell-all book about her time in the White House. And, as it turned out, what Lara Trump claimed regarding at least some of the campaign salaries was false.
Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., are both receiving $15,000 a month of campaign money that is routed through Parscale’s companies. Parscale defended the practice to HuffPost last month ― “I can pay them however I want to pay them” ― but he declined to elaborate.
Brad Parscale, manager of President Donald Trump's reelection campaign, right, watches as Trump ends a rally April 27 in Green Bay, Wis. Andrew Harnik/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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“I think the general public would be interested to know what members of Trump’s extended family are being paid by campaign donors,” said Paul Ryan, a campaign finance legal expert at the watchdog group Common Cause.
How many others are paid in a similarly secret manner is not publicly knowable. For example, Trump’s first 2016 campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, told HuffPost at a February campaign rally that he had rejoined the campaign last year as a senior adviser ― the same title held by both Lara Trump and Guilfoyle. But he also does not appear in FEC records, and neither he nor the campaign would respond to HuffPost queries about the matter.
Of course, if he, like Lara Trump and Guilfoyle, is making money off the Trump reelection with no public disclosure, he is certainly not alone. Many tens of millions of dollars in payments have gone to consulting firms that in turn purchase internet ads, television spots and mass mailings ― but also keep undisclosed percentages for their principals.
A total of $50.5 million, for example, has been paid to direct-mail firm Communications Corp. of America. FLS Connect, run by former RNC staffers, has been paid $19.1 million for telemarketing and “data services.” Nearly $7.7 million has gone to Opn Sesame, owned by Parscale friend Gary Coby, for fundraising via text messages.
Many of the companies provide legitimate services that campaigns need, Wilson said, and there is strategic value to creating cutout firms to purchase ads to make it harder for other campaigns to discern strategy.
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But in the case of the Trump campaign and the RNC, he said, the more important purpose is to hide from Trump’s donors how much is being kept as overhead by the various players.
And with the households of both of Trump’s adult sons profiting from the campaign ― the RNC even purchased tens of thousands of copies of Donald Trump Jr.’s book last year, helping drive it onto bestseller lists ― Wilson said he suspects the obfuscation, in this case, is being done with Trump’s complicity.
“There’s definitely something sluicing over onto the Trump side of the fence,” he said.
“It’s either done to hide it from the candidate or it’s done to hide it with the candidate,” agreed Weaver. “It certainly hides it from the donors and the FEC and the public.”
The single biggest beneficiary of Trump’s campaign, though, appears to be his campaign manager, Parscale. Up until last year, when media reports of how much money was flowing through his companies angered Trump and the RNC set up a separate shell company to route advertising dollars, Parscale’s businesses were receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars per month from the various reelection committees. It was a similar arrangement to what he had in 2016, when his firm received $93.9 million for internet ads, fundraising and web design.
Exactly how much Parscale kept for himself in that election or is keeping for himself now is impossible to know using public records. He told The Washington Post in October that he had made only $400,000 up to that point in the reelection effort. The New York Times in March reported that he was keeping $700,000 to $800,000, an amount Trump had OKd.
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Parscale did not respond to HuffPost’s specific queries on this point, but either figure seems low given the spending spree he has embarked upon over the past three years.
Annual real estate taxes on his canal-front house with 95 feet of dockage located just two miles from the Port Everglades inlet into the open Atlantic, for example, run $43,986, nearly 50% more than the per-capita income in Florida. The 32-foot Sea Ray outboard he got last year (Parscale wrote on Instagram last June: “Love boating through Fort Lauderdale. Amazing place.”) guzzles $150 an hour in gasoline at cruising speed, totaling upwards of $1,000 for a day on the water.
“There’s a lot of well-intentioned people who are giving five and 10 dollars a month, and it goes to someone like Parscale,” said Stevens. “It’s just obscene.”
$750 million in spending later, Trump still unpopular
Even if Parscale’s compensation to date has totaled in the low millions of dollars, it would still be many times more than what was earned by other presidential campaign managers.
In 2012, former President Barack Obama’s reelection chief Jim Messina was paid $123,908, while GOP counterpart Matt Rhoades on Mitt Romney’s campaign was paid $178,750.
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Four years later, Jeb Bush’s campaign manager, Danny Diaz, was making $137,739 a year, while Hillary Clinton’s chief, Robbie Mook, was making $134,069.
And this year, Bernie Sanders’ campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, was being paid $156,657 annually while presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s new chief, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, is making $138,423. The head of billionaire Mike Bloomberg’s campaign, known for its extravagant salaries, was making $198,547.
“Parscale would also be the best-paid campaign manager in the history of campaign managers,” Wilson said.
Though Parscale’s earnings likely shatter previous records many times over, he is not alone in finding the president’s 2020 campaign lucrative. The Trump campaign’s salaries generally have been significantly higher for upper- and mid-level positions than that of other campaigns.
Trump’s communications director, Tim Murtaugh, is making $230,000 a year ― more than twice what his counterpart at the Biden campaign, Kate Bedingfield, is making. Murtaugh’s deputy, Erin Perrine, is paid $160,000 ― more than O’Malley Dillon or anyone else on the Biden campaign ― while Trump campaign “senior adviser” Katrina Pierson is paid $240,000 annually.
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Stevens, who worked on the Bush campaigns of 2000 and 2004 and the Romney campaigns of 2008 and 2012, said consultants are accustomed to a culture of making less on a presidential run than they might working for several statewide races in a particular election year.
“A lot of people did it because they thought it was important,” he said. “The idea that you go to work as a political consultant on a presidential campaign and make more than you’ve ever made in your life ― it should be a tremendous warning sign.”
But if campaign staff and consultants are enriching themselves thanks to Trump donors, it is no different than what Trump himself has been doing since even before taking office: paying himself millions of dollars for use of his own properties.
A HuffPost analysis of FEC data shows that Trump’s campaign, the RNC and their related joint committees have spent $6.4 million at Trump hotels and resorts from January 2017 through March 31. That includes $37,542 per month in rent for space at Trump Tower in Manhattan, even though the campaign is based in a high-rise in Arlington, Virginia, and just a handful of staff use the New York office.
“The idea that you go to work as a political consultant on a presidential campaign and make more than you’ve ever made in your life ― it should be a tremendous warning sign.” - Republican consultant Stuart Stevens
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That practice of funneling donor money into his own pocket began in 2016, right after he became the presumptive Republican nominee and began raising large amounts of GOP cash. Trump immediately quintupled the rent he was charging his campaign at Trump Tower, from $35,458 per month to $169,758. He also began billing the campaign five- and six-figure sums for use of his hotels and golf courses for hosting fundraisers.
Yet for all the reelection campaign’s spending, there remains the question of what has been achieved. Trump opened his reelection campaign literally the day he took office ― more than two years earlier than his recent predecessors began their reelection efforts.
Trump’s approval ratings, while slightly higher than they were at the lowest points of his presidency, have remained stuck in the low 40s. While they edged upward a few points after the coronavirus pandemic struck in a classic “rally ’round the flag” effect, that disappeared quickly after Trump staged nightly two-hour briefings in which he repeatedly aired his numerous grievances and unusual medical theories.
And though his campaign frequently boasts of all the internet-based events they are hosting to recruit volunteers from among their database of rally-goers, critics like Weaver are dubious that merely getting his hard-core base to the polls will be enough to win a second term.
“What would a normal campaign that won after losing the popular vote have done? They would have done everything they could to expand their base and broaden their coalition,” he said.
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But instead, in media interview after media interview, rally speech after rally speech, Trump appealed to his core supporters among white, rural Americans without college educations and managed to alienate everyone else, Weaver said.
“What have they gotten for their money? They have a narrowing Electoral College path. They decided to see if they can draw an inside straight two elections in a row,” he said. “It’s like trying to get an inside straight on a high wire in a high wind.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-05--Trump Pushes Country Toward Reopening, Claiming 'Virus Will Pass'

President Donald Trump acknowledged there will be “ some ” deaths due to states reopening businesses and other activities — a move he has been pushing — as coronavirus cases continue to mount in the U.S .
In an interview with ABC News as Trump traveled to Arizona to visit a business that makes masks , reporter David Muir asked the president whether “ lives will be lost to reopen the country.
” “ It ’ s possible there will be some , because you won ’ t be locked into an apartment or a house , ” Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re gon na practice social distancing , we ’ re gon na be washing hands.
” “ We have to get our country back , ” Trump said , claiming people are “ dying the other way , too , ” citing suicides , drug abuse and the effects of lost jobs .
“ We have to bring it back and that ’ s what we ’ re doing.
” “ We can ’ t sit in the house for the next three years , ” he said later in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been pushing for states to reopen their economies and several of them — including Georgia , Texas , Oklahoma and South Carolina — have done so in modified ways in recent days , even as public health experts warn that such moves could lead to an increase in coronavirus cases .
A Trump administration document obtained by The New York Times predicted a steady increase in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks , with the daily death toll mounting from the current figure of about 1,750 to about 3,000 by June .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the president , Trump also said in the interview that the virus “ will pass , with or without a vaccine.
” “ I think we ’ re doing very well on the vaccines but , with or without a vaccine , it ’ s going to pass , and we ’ re going to be back to normal , ” Trump said .
Trump has repeatedly made such claims about an end to the pandemic , including saying in February that the virus might “ miraculously ” be gone by April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asserting without evidence that it is “ going to go away.
” The U.S. leads the world in coronavirus cases and deaths .
As of Tuesday , the nation had about 1.2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases , the disease caused by the coronavirus , with more than 70,000 deaths .
A record 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the last six weeks — and those figures don ’ t account for those who haven ’ t been able to file or who are deemed ineligible .
As right-wing protesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cities in recent weeks to demand states reopen businesses , in many cases flouting public health orders for social distancing and mask-wearing , Trump has described them as “ great people .
”

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President Donald Trump acknowledged there will be “some” deaths due to states reopening businesses and other activities — a move he has been pushing — as coronavirus cases continue to mount in the U.S.
In an interview with ABC News as Trump traveled to Arizona to visit a business that makes masks, reporter David Muir asked the president whether “lives will be lost to reopen the country.”
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“It’s possible there will be some, because you won’t be locked into an apartment or a house,” Trump said. “But at the same time we’re gonna practice social distancing, we’re gonna be washing hands.”
“We have to get our country back,” Trump said, claiming people are “dying the other way, too,” citing suicides, drug abuse and the effects of lost jobs. “We have to bring it back and that’s what we’re doing.”
“We can’t sit in the house for the next three years,” he said later in the interview, per ABC news.
Trump has been pushing for states to reopen their economies and several of them — including Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and South Carolina — have done so in modified ways in recent days, even as public health experts warn that such moves could lead to an increase in coronavirus cases.
A Trump administration document obtained by The New York Times predicted a steady increase in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks, with the daily death toll mounting from the current figure of about 1,750 to about 3,000 by June.
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BREAKING: Pres. Trump tells @DavidMuir "it's possible there will be some" deaths as states ease coronavirus restrictions, acknowledging it was the choice the U.S. faces to reopen the economy.
More tonight on @ABCWorldNews. https://t.co/k8P2NJBKrE pic.twitter.com/BWrTQxxGB1 — ABC News (@ABC) May 5, 2020
In an apparent bout of wishful thinking by the president, Trump also said in the interview that the virus “will pass, with or without a vaccine.”
“I think we’re doing very well on the vaccines but, with or without a vaccine, it’s going to pass, and we’re going to be back to normal,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly made such claims about an end to the pandemic, including saying in February that the virus might “miraculously” be gone by April, and in March and last month asserting without evidence that it is “going to go away.”
The U.S. leads the world in coronavirus cases and deaths. As of Tuesday, the nation had about 1.2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases, the disease caused by the coronavirus, with more than 70,000 deaths.
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A record 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the last six weeks — and those figures don’t account for those who haven’t been able to file or who are deemed ineligible.
As right-wing protesters have taken to the streets in dozens of cities in recent weeks to demand states reopen businesses, in many cases flouting public health orders for social distancing and mask-wearing, Trump has described them as “great people.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, a leading infectious disease expert on the White House’s coronavirus task force, described a recent protest of Michigan’s stay-at-home order as “devastatingly worrisome.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-06--Ex-Bush Aide Warns Of ‘Brazen’ Ways Donald Trump Will Campaign Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Peter Wehner , who was a senior aide to former President George W. Bush , warned Americans how President Donald Trump will try to duck widespread criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic as he campaigns for reelection .
Wehner argued in a new column for The Atlantic published Tuesday that “ Trump and his apparatchiks will not only step up their propaganda ” but also “ increase their efforts to exhaust our critical thinking and to annihilate truth.
” There will be “ even more brazen attempts to rewrite history , ” he said , “ more crazy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists and “ more extreme appeals to the fringe base of Trump ’ s party , including right-wing militias.
” Wehner , who also served in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W .
Bush , said the 2020 election is “ a referendum on reality and epistemology.
” “ Donald Trump is asking us to enter even further into his house of mirrors , ” he wrote .
“ He is asking us to live within a lie , to live within his lie , for four more years .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to refuse to live within that lie.
” Wehner said Trump has “ become his own caricature ” and is “ indistinguishable ” from Alec Baldwin ’ s portrayal on “ Saturday Night Live .
”

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Peter Wehner, who was a senior aide to former President George W. Bush, warned Americans how President Donald Trump will try to duck widespread criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic as he campaigns for reelection.
Wehner argued in a new column for The Atlantic published Tuesday that “Trump and his apparatchiks will not only step up their propaganda” but also “increase their efforts to exhaust our critical thinking and to annihilate truth.”
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There will be “even more brazen attempts to rewrite history,” he said, “more crazy conspiracy theories,” more attacks on journalists and “more extreme appeals to the fringe base of Trump’s party, including right-wing militias.”
Wehner, who also served in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, said the 2020 election is “a referendum on reality and epistemology.”
“Donald Trump is asking us to enter even further into his house of mirrors,” he wrote. “He is asking us to live within a lie, to live within his lie, for four more years. The duty of citizenship in America today is to refuse to live within that lie.”
Wehner said Trump has “become his own caricature” and is “indistinguishable” from Alec Baldwin’s portrayal on “Saturday Night Live.”