politicususa--2020-03-30--Trump Calls Yamiche Alcindor “You People” and Cuts Off Her Mic During Coronavirus Briefing

Trump cut off the microphone of PBS Newshour correspondent Yamiche Alcindor and referred to her as “ you people ” while calling her threatening .
Alcindor asked Trump about his claim that New York doesn ’ t need as many ventilators as they are requesting .
Trump responded by saying , “ Listen , why don ’ t you people act — listen , why don ’ t you act in a little more positive .
Always trying to get you , get you .
That ’ s why nobody trusts the media.
” Trump then told her to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African-American female journalist that she was threatening , “ When you ask questions that are so threatening.
” The entire exchange was full of racial overtones from Trump .
The President berates white journalists too but he doesn ’ t call them “ threatening.
” The White House cut off Alcindor ’ s microphone as has become the custom at these sham briefings .
Another journalist passed her a microphone after her ’ s was cut off .
Trump supporters will come up with a million defenses for Trump ’ s use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exchange is viewed , it provides a damning racial context and insight into the bigoted way that Donald Trump views and treats certain members of the media .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Trump cut off the microphone of PBS Newshour correspondent Yamiche Alcindor and referred to her as “you people” while calling her threatening.
Alcindor asked Trump about his claim that New York doesn’t need as many ventilators as they are requesting.
Trump responded by saying, “Listen, why don’t you people act — listen, why don’t you act in a little more positive. Always trying to get you, get you. That’s why nobody trusts the media.”
Trump then told her to be nice.
The President then told an African-American female journalist that she was threatening, “When you ask questions that are so threatening.”
Video:
Trump uses "you people" when yelling at African-American journalist @Yamiche of PBS Newshour. pic.twitter.com/KjkhY0GG2x — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 29, 2020
The entire exchange was full of racial overtones from Trump. The President berates white journalists too but he doesn’t call them “threatening.”
The White House cut off Alcindor’s microphone as has become the custom at these sham briefings. Another journalist passed her a microphone after her’s was cut off.
Trump supporters will come up with a million defenses for Trump’s use of you people, but when the entire exchange is viewed, it provides a damning racial context and insight into the bigoted way that Donald Trump views and treats certain members of the media.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-03-29--Expert Rips Trump’s Claim That 100,000-200,000 Deaths Means He Did A Good Job

Dr. Ashish Jha , the Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute , said that the coronavirus death toll 100,000-200,000 that Trump is celebrating is horrible .
Dr. Jha said on MSNBC , “ And those are grim numbers .
And 100,000 to 200,000 Americans dying from this disease , it was completely unnecessary , but here we are and looking forward .
If we do a good job moving forward , and that requires social distancing finally getting our testing up and running and getting our hospitals ready , yeah , that is within the sort of range of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should feel solace that that ’ s great , a great job done .
That is a completely horribly high number.
” Jha also said that the deaths were avoidable , “ Oh , it was completely avoidable .
And , look , we all know that for two months our government didn ’ t take it seriously .
We know that .
That ’ s been sort of — that ’ s a well-known , well established .
Even in the last few weeks as the reality has become very , very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still political leaders who have not taken it seriously .
We still had spring breakers in Florida who probably have now spread those infections across the country .
We still haven ’ t gotten our hospitals ready .
So I ’ m hoping that this press conference marks a turning point where everybody begins to take it seriously .
I think a majority of Americans have , but there have been too many political leaders who have still been acting like this is not a serious problem.
” Trump ’ s claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die in the US from coronavirus it means that he did a good job was a joke because the US had ample warning and resources to cut down the spread of the virus from the beginning , but Trump spent those critical early weeks calling the virus a hoax and giving US supplies to the Chinese .
None of this had to happen .
With proper early testing and distancing , the death toll could have been exponentially lower .
Trump bungled the response and now he wants credit for potentially killing hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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Dr. Ashish Jha, the Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said that the coronavirus death toll 100,000-200,000 that Trump is celebrating is horrible.
Dr. Jha said on MSNBC, “And those are grim numbers. And 100,000 to 200,000 Americans dying from this disease, it was completely unnecessary, but here we are and looking forward. If we do a good job moving forward, and that requires social distancing finally getting our testing up and running and getting our hospitals ready, yeah, that is within the sort of range of what we might experience. No one should feel solace that that’s great, a great job done. That is a completely horribly high number.”
Jha also said that the deaths were avoidable, “Oh, it was completely avoidable. And, look, we all know that for two months our government didn’t take it seriously. We know that. That’s been sort of — that’s a well-known, well established. Even in the last few weeks as the reality has become very, very obvious to most Americans, there are still political leaders who have not taken it seriously. We still had spring breakers in Florida who probably have now spread those infections across the country. We still haven’t gotten our hospitals ready. So I’m hoping that this press conference marks a turning point where everybody begins to take it seriously. I think a majority of Americans have, but there have been too many political leaders who have still been acting like this is not a serious problem.”
Video:
Dr. Ashish Jha, the Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, shot down Trump's claim that only 100,000-200,000 coronavirus deaths was a good job. He called the spread of the virus in the US totally preventable. pic.twitter.com/DhdxbhZmtD — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 29, 2020
Trump’s claim that if only a few hundred thousand people die in the US from coronavirus it means that he did a good job was a joke because the US had ample warning and resources to cut down the spread of the virus from the beginning, but Trump spent those critical early weeks calling the virus a hoax and giving US supplies to the Chinese.
None of this had to happen. With proper early testing and distancing, the death toll could have been exponentially lower.
Trump bungled the response and now he wants credit for potentially killing hundreds of thousands of Americans with his incompetence.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-03-29--Trump Wants Doctors To Reuse Their Contaminated Coronavirus Masks

Trump wants to know why doctors need more masks to treat coronavirus patients and thinks that doctors should reuse the masks that they have .
Trump said , “ We are also looking at an approval for the sterilization of masks .
I kept saying to myself I see some of the masks are very complex .
We are delivering millions , by the way .
Millions .
I kept saying why aren ’ t they able to use that mask a second , third , fourth time ?
And Mike DeWine , the great governor of Ohio , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in the final process of getting approval for the sterilization of masks , and in some cases , depending on the mask some of these masks are very , very very powerful .
Very strong material .
They are able to sterilize the mask up to 20 times .
So I guess that ’ s like getting 20 masks .
And so we worked object that as soon as I heard from Mike today.
” Trump wants doctors and first responders to walk around reusing the same equipment that may have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more people can get the coronavirus .
It is not a difficult concept .
The equipment is disposable to prevent the spread of disease .
It would be better for doctors to have fresh masks to wear instead of sterilizing disposable equipment , which is what doctors and first responders all around the country are already doing .
The man who is supposed to be leading the country during an epidemic doesn ’ t understand why doctors can ’ t use contaminated masks .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel @ @ @ @ @

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Trump wants to know why doctors need more masks to treat coronavirus patients and thinks that doctors should reuse the masks that they have.
Trump said, “We are also looking at an approval for the sterilization of masks. I kept saying to myself I see some of the masks are very complex. We are delivering millions, by the way. Millions. I kept saying why aren’t they able to use that mask a second, third, fourth time? And Mike DeWine, the great governor of Ohio, called me. They have a company that is in the final process of getting approval for the sterilization of masks, and in some cases, depending on the mask some of these masks are very, very very powerful. Very strong material. They are able to sterilize the mask up to 20 times. So I guess that’s like getting 20 masks. And so we worked object that as soon as I heard from Mike today.”
Video:
Trump asks why doctors and first responders can't reuse masks a second, third, or fourth time." pic.twitter.com/GuPVwZq9BM — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 29, 2020
Trump wants doctors and first responders to walk around reusing the same equipment that may have been infected by a coronavirus patient so that more people can get the coronavirus. It is not a difficult concept. The equipment is disposable to prevent the spread of disease.
It would be better for doctors to have fresh masks to wear instead of sterilizing disposable equipment, which is what doctors and first responders all around the country are already doing.
The man who is supposed to be leading the country during an epidemic doesn’t understand why doctors can’t use contaminated masks.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-03-29--Trump Melts Down And Claims Hospitals Are Lying About Needing Masks

Trump launched into a conspiracy theory and appeared to accuse hospitals of lying about the number of masks that they need during the coronavirus briefing .
Trump said : I bring that up because when we discussed back in the room — we were in a conference room , very nice one , actually , it is called the cabinet room .
That statement was made , that they have been delivering , for years , 10 to 20,000 masks .
Okay .
It is a New York hospital .
It is packed all the time .
How do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
10,000 to 20,000 maskings to 300,000 .
This is different .
Something is going on .
You ought to lock into it as reporters .
Where are the masks going ?
Out the back door ?
How do you go from 10,000 to 300,000 ?
And we have that in a lot of different places .
Somebody should look into that .
Because I don ’ t see from a practical standpoint how it is possible to go from that to and we have that happening in numerous places .
Not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number I have heard .
That ’ s the highest number you have seen , I would imagine .
But this man makes them and delivers them to a lot of hospitals .
He knows the system better than I think you were surprised the see that number .
I hope I didn ’ t get any of your clients in trouble .
But they could be in trouble .
They have the look at that in New York .
The answer to why hospitals need more masks isn ’ t complicated .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to order because they are being overwhelmed with sick people who have a highly contagious virus .
Trump is attempting to blame the hospitals for wanting too many masks to cover up for his failure to provide them .
While doctors , nurses , and first responders are getting the coronavirus at an alarming rate , Trump claimed that they don ’ t need as many masks as they are asking for .
It is this sort of incompetence and pettiness that is getting people needlessly infected and killed .
For more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Trump launched into a conspiracy theory and appeared to accuse hospitals of lying about the number of masks that they need during the coronavirus briefing.
Trump said:
I bring that up because when we discussed back in the room — we were in a conference room, very nice one, actually, it is called the cabinet room. That statement was made, that they have been delivering, for years, 10 to 20,000 masks. Okay. It is a New York hospital. It is packed all the time. How do you go from 10,000 to 20,000 to 300,000? 10,000 to 20,000 maskings to 300,000. This is different. Something is going on. You ought to lock into it as reporters. Where are the masks going? Out the back door? How do you go from 10,000 to 300,000?
And we have that in a lot of different places. Somebody should look into that. Because I don’t see from a practical standpoint how it is possible to go from that to and we have that happening in numerous places. Not to that extent. That was the highest number I have heard. That’s the highest number you have seen, I would imagine. But this man makes them and delivers them to a lot of hospitals. He knows the system better than I think you were surprised the see that number. I hope I didn’t get any of your clients in trouble. But they could be in trouble. They have the look at that in New York.
Video:
Trump launches in a conspiracy and claims that hospitals are lying about the number of masks that they need and tells reporters to investigate it. pic.twitter.com/kRQYUINuRi — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 29, 2020
The answer to why hospitals need more masks isn’t complicated. Hospitals need exponentially more masks than they used to order because they are being overwhelmed with sick people who have a highly contagious virus.
Trump is attempting to blame the hospitals for wanting too many masks to cover up for his failure to provide them.
While doctors, nurses, and first responders are getting the coronavirus at an alarming rate, Trump claimed that they don’t need as many masks as they are asking for.
It is this sort of incompetence and pettiness that is getting people needlessly infected and killed.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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politicususa--2020-03-29--Pelosi Blames Trump For US Deaths And Hints At Investigation

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) blamed Trump ’ s denial and delay for the deaths of Americans and hinted that the House would be investigating in the future .
Transcript via CNN ’ s State Of The Union : PELOSI : What the president — his denial at the beginning was deadly .
His delaying of getting equipment to where — it continues — his delay in getting equipment to where it ’ s needed is deadly .
And now I think the best thing would be to do is to prevent more loss of life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that — because we just don ’ t know .
We have to have testing , testing , testing — that ’ s what we said from the start — before we can evaluate what the nature of it is in some of these other regions as well .
I don ’ t know what the purpose of that is .
I don ’ t know what the scientists are saying to him .
I don ’ t know what the scientists said to him .
When did this president know about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What did he know and when did he know it ?
That ’ s for an after-action review .
But as the president fiddles , people are dying .
And we have to — we just have to take every precaution .
TAPPER : Speaker Pelosi , when you say that the president ’ s denial was deadly… TAPPER : … he obviously downplayed the risks of coronavirus for several weeks .
And it wasn ’ t until I think about two weeks ago that he started acknowledging the gravity of the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downplaying ultimately cost American lives ?
PELOSI : Yes , I am .
I ’ m saying that , because when he made — the other day , when he was signing the bill , he said , just think , 20 days ago , everything was great .
No , everything wasn ’ t great .
We had nearly 500 cases and 17 deaths already .
And in that 20 days , because we weren ’ t prepared , we now have 2,000 deaths and 100,000 cases .
Since the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review , it is going to be up the committees in the House to investigate what Trump knew , when he knew it , and how it influenced his coronavirus response .
Trump definitely bungled the response and fueled the spread of the virus through denial and delay , but there will be time for investigation and review when the pandemic has ended .
It is important for our political leaders to stand up for facts at a time when the president is only interested in optics and political spin .
Speaker Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groundwork to hold him accountable for criminal leadership failures .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) blamed Trump’s denial and delay for the deaths of Americans and hinted that the House would be investigating in the future.
Transcript via CNN’s State Of The Union:
PELOSI: What the president — his denial at the beginning was deadly. His delaying of getting equipment to where — it continues — his delay in getting equipment to where it’s needed is deadly.
And now I think the best thing would be to do is to prevent more loss of life, rather than open things up, so that — because we just don’t know. We have to have testing, testing, testing — that’s what we said from the start — before we can evaluate what the nature of it is in some of these other regions as well.
I don’t know what the purpose of that is. I don’t know what the scientists are saying to him. I don’t know what the scientists said to him. When did this president know about this and what did he know? What did he know and when did he know it?
That’s for an after-action review. But as the president fiddles, people are dying. And we have to — we just have to take every precaution.
TAPPER: Speaker Pelosi, when you say that the president’s denial was deadly…
PELOSI: Yes.
TAPPER: … he obviously downplayed the risks of coronavirus for several weeks. And it wasn’t until I think about two weeks ago that he started acknowledging the gravity of the crisis.
But are you saying that his downplaying ultimately cost American lives?
PELOSI: Yes, I am. I’m saying that, because when he made — the other day, when he was signing the bill, he said, just think, 20 days ago, everything was great.
No, everything wasn’t great. We had nearly 500 cases and 17 deaths already. And in that 20 days, because we weren’t prepared, we now have 2,000 deaths and 100,000 cases.
Video:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the President downplaying the severity of coronavirus is “deadly." “As the President fiddles, people are dying. We just have to take every precaution.” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/EAnhwW0QKi — CNN (@CNN) March 29, 2020
Since the Trump administration itself will not do a credible after-action review, it is going to be up the committees in the House to investigate what Trump knew, when he knew it, and how it influenced his coronavirus response.
Trump definitely bungled the response and fueled the spread of the virus through denial and delay, but there will be time for investigation and review when the pandemic has ended.
It is important for our political leaders to stand up for facts at a time when the president is only interested in optics and political spin. Speaker Pelosi is calling Trump out and laying the groundwork to hold him accountable for criminal leadership failures.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-03-29--Giddy Trump Brags And Lies About His Coronavirus TV Ratings

As Americans are dying by the thousands , Donald Trump lied and bragged about the television ratings that his coronavirus briefings are drawing .
The ratings reveal that Trump is lying .
Monday Night Football averaged over 12.5 million viewers last season on ESPN .
Friday ’ s coronavirus briefing which ran uninterrupted in the 6 PM hour on all three cable news networks drew a combined 7 million + viewers , with a slight majority of those viewers coming from CNN and MSNBC .
The Bachelor finale also drew a million more viewers than Trump on ABC .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his Twitter platform to educate the public on safety during the epidemic , Trump is bragging and falsely inflating his TV ratings .
A look at the ratings shows why the cable news networks will not stop televising his coronavirus briefings live .
As long as people keep watching , the networks will ignore all criticism of their decision and continue to give Trump an unfiltered platform to use to lie to the country .
When people stop watching the cable news networks will stop airing the briefings live , and not fact-checked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the medical crisis or the economic collapse .
All that matters to him is that he is getting live airtime , and the attention of the cable news networks .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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As Americans are dying by the thousands, Donald Trump lied and bragged about the television ratings that his coronavirus briefings are drawing.
Trump tweeted:
Because the “Ratings” of my News Conferences etc. are so high, “Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers” according to the @nytimes, the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY. “Trump is reaching too many people, we must stop him.” said one lunatic. See you at 5:00 P.M.! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
The ratings reveal that Trump is lying. Monday Night Football averaged over 12.5 million viewers last season on ESPN. Friday’s coronavirus briefing which ran uninterrupted in the 6 PM hour on all three cable news networks drew a combined 7 million + viewers, with a slight majority of those viewers coming from CNN and MSNBC. The Bachelor finale also drew a million more viewers than Trump on ABC.
People are dying, and instead of using his Twitter platform to educate the public on safety during the epidemic, Trump is bragging and falsely inflating his TV ratings.
A look at the ratings shows why the cable news networks will not stop televising his coronavirus briefings live. As long as people keep watching, the networks will ignore all criticism of their decision and continue to give Trump an unfiltered platform to use to lie to the country.
When people stop watching the cable news networks will stop airing the briefings live, and not fact-checked.
Trump doesn’t care about the medical crisis or the economic collapse. All that matters to him is that he is getting live airtime, and the attention of the cable news networks.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-03-29--Trump Implied Obama Failed H1N1 Crisis Over 13,000 Deaths — But Fauci Predicts COVID-19 Could Bring

Trump Implied Obama Failed H1N1 Crisis Over 13,000 Deaths — But Fauci Predicts COVID-19 Could Bring More Than 15 Times That Number

In defending his administration ’ s response to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this month , President Donald Trump brought forward an unusual comparison , implying that his predecessor had done a worse job than him during a separate viral outbreak .
Speaking with Sean Hannity during an interview on Fox News on March 4 , Trump claimed that the swine flu ( H1N1 ) resulted in 17,000 deaths across the country — a result that came about , Trump suggested , because former President Barack Obama “ didn ’ t do anything ” to contain the disease .
( His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13,000 deaths as a result of the swine flu . )
Trump ’ s comments were examined by a number of different fact-checking sites , and were found to be obscenely false .
The Obama administration , these sites concluded , had responded appropriately to the H1N1 pandemic .
Indeed , the President ’ s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology in August 2009 predicted between 30,000 and 90,000 were going to die from the disease , a range that is many times larger than the actual outcome , all things considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his administration was doing a better job than Obama ’ s had — but it was an apples-to-oranges comparison , as it was looking at Obama ’ s record at the end of a crisis , and comparing it to Trump ’ s at the beginning of his .
In all likelihood , Trump ’ s final tally is going to be grimmer .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , a member of the president ’ s coronavirus task force , spoke on Sunday morning on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis could have , Fauci warned that his predictions were based on models he had observed , and that they could be different in the end .
However , he also said the American public should be prepared for a high number of Americans getting sick , and dying , from COVID-19 .
“ Looking at what we ’ re seeing now , you know , I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths ” will occur as a result of coronavirus , coming about from “ millions of cases ” in total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of Sunday morning , there have been nearly 2,200 documented deaths in the United States as a result of coronavirus .
Experts agree that the number is going to go up significantly in the coming weeks .

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In defending his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic earlier this month, President Donald Trump brought forward an unusual comparison, implying that his predecessor had done a worse job than him during a separate viral outbreak.
Speaking with Sean Hannity during an interview on Fox News on March 4, Trump claimed that the swine flu (H1N1) resulted in 17,000 deaths across the country — a result that came about, Trump suggested, because former President Barack Obama “didn’t do anything” to contain the disease. (His numbers were off — there were about 13,000 deaths as a result of the swine flu.)
If youre wondering how Trumps interview with Hannity is going, he's currently attacking Obama and the media over H1N1 and bragging about his poll numbers pic.twitter.com/kEr0YX0Cj9 — Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) March 27, 2020
Trump’s comments were examined by a number of different fact-checking sites, and were found to be obscenely false. The Obama administration, these sites concluded, had responded appropriately to the H1N1 pandemic. Indeed, the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology in August 2009 predicted between 30,000 and 90,000 were going to die from the disease, a range that is many times larger than the actual outcome, all things considered.
Trump used the numbers to demonstrate that his administration was doing a better job than Obama’s had — but it was an apples-to-oranges comparison, as it was looking at Obama’s record at the end of a crisis, and comparing it to Trump’s at the beginning of his.
In all likelihood, Trump’s final tally is going to be grimmer.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the president’s coronavirus task force, spoke on Sunday morning on CNN’s “State of the Union.” When asked about what outcome the crisis could have, Fauci warned that his predictions were based on models he had observed, and that they could be different in the end.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says there could potentially be between 100,000 to 200,000 deaths related to the coronavirus and millions of cases. “I just don’t think that we really need to make a projection when it’s such a moving target, that you could so easily be wrong,” he adds. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/F2MOHY3xl4 — State of the Union (@CNNSotu) March 29, 2020
However, he also said the American public should be prepared for a high number of Americans getting sick, and dying, from COVID-19.
“Looking at what we’re seeing now, you know, I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths” will occur as a result of coronavirus, coming about from “millions of cases” in total across the country, Fauci explained.
As of Sunday morning, there have been nearly 2,200 documented deaths in the United States as a result of coronavirus. Experts agree that the number is going to go up significantly in the coming weeks.


politicususa--2020-03-29--Opinion: There’s A Reasonable Explanation For Why Trump’s Approval Numbers Went Up Last Week — And I

Opinion: There’s A Reasonable Explanation For Why Trump’s Approval Numbers Went Up Last Week — And It’s Nothing To Fret About

The ineptitude and general inability of President Donald Trump to function properly and appropriately in his role as chief executive were known well-before these past few weeks , but the coronavirus crisis has seemed to highlight what we ’ ve already understood for quite some time : if the United States ever faced a real crisis with Trump still in office , it would be a very , very bad thing .
We caught glimpses of how bad things could get before — examples include how close we almost got to nuclear war when he bragged vociferously to Kim Jong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear button , ” or when he very nearly started a war with Iran by assassinating ( perhaps illegally ) their top general earlier this year .
Those events , thankfully , didn ’ t end up producing the worst-case scenarios that they could have ended up being .
With coronavirus , however , we are slowly , but surely , headed toward disastrous outcomes .
As of Sunday morning , there have been nearly 2,200 deaths reported as a result of COVID-19 in the U.S. , and close to 125,000 cases reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the number of cases could be as many as five times greater than what we know .
And yet , through it all — through his insistence on calling the disease a racist name , his spending the entire month of February gloating about himself and calling any criticisms to his lackadaisical approach to the disease a “ hoax , ” or his promise ( which has since been rescinded ) that anyone who wanted a test could get one — the president ’ s approval rating is actually increasing at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained as a “ rally around the flag ” mentality , the idea that , in a crisis situation , a president ’ s approval rating tends to increase .
Nevertheless , a number progressives in my network of friends urgently asked me several times this past week : how in the hell could Trump be getting higher marks after all the failures he ’ s had , especially with regards to his response to coronavirus ?
The answer is actually one that creates more questions than it answers : it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Looking at two surveys in particular over the past week — the Economist/YouGov poll and the ABC News/Washington Post poll — a quick glimpse gives progressives worried about this year ’ s presidential race reason to feel alarmed .
Both polls show an increase in Trump ’ s approval rating , with a 4-point increase in the Economist/YouGov poll versus February ’ s numbers , and a 5-point increase in the case of the ABC News/Washington Post poll compared to last month ’ s survey .
In the latter ’ s case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually in the positive column , with 48 percent saying they approve of his job performance and 46 percent saying they disapprove .
Why the big jump ?
Looking closer at the numbers , mainly at the crosstab data , it ’ s a small number of Democrats who are giving Trump better numbers — though , reluctantly so , it appears .
In February ’ s Economist/YouGov numbers , only 7 percent of Democratic-leaning voters said they approved of Trump ’ s job as president .
In March , that number increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , two-thirds of those giving him an “ approving ” job rating this month said they only “ somewhat ” approved of his work — perhaps indicative of the “ support the president during a crisis ” mentality some moderates in the Democratic Party may have .
The same pattern is noticeable in the ABC News/Washington Post poll .
In February , only 6 percent gave him approving marks , while 20 percent of Dems said they approved of his job performance in March — but again , of that 20 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was only “ somewhat ” ( versus less than a third who said they “ strongly ” approved Trump ’ s work ) .
There is evidence elsewhere that independents are giving Trump higher marks , too , but their shift is less pronounced than what some Democrats are doing .
So why are Democrats saying they give Trump a good grade now ?
Like I said before , it could be because some ( a small minority ) in the Democratic Party believe any president , during a time of crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could also be that some Dems actually believe that Trump has done some good — shifting his tone early last week , for example , away from being antagonistic toward critics to recognizing the pandemic is a real and present danger .
That tone shift , of course , was short-lived .
Trump scolded a reporter who dared to suggest Americans were scared about this crisis , and he ’ s shown more signs since then that he doesn ’ t intend to make his tonal changes into anything permanent .
Democrats who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week are a minority among those in the party , but they ’ re also unlikely to vote for Trump when November rolls around .
For starters , the fact that they said they approve of him only “ somewhat ” in the polls demonstrates that their approval of his work is reluctant , at best .
Given the choice between Trump and a Democratic candidate for president , this small group of Democrats is likely to choose the latter 99 times out of 100 , if not more often than that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to stick for another reason : Trump ’ s got ta be Trump , and he ’ ll inevitably ruin what little goodwill he earned these past 10 days .
It ’ s just the kind of guy this president is — he can ’ t help but be a jerk , even during a national crisis , and that ’ s going to translate into bad grades , sooner rather than later , into his aptitude for the job he presently has .

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The ineptitude and general inability of President Donald Trump to function properly and appropriately in his role as chief executive were known well-before these past few weeks, but the coronavirus crisis has seemed to highlight what we’ve already understood for quite some time: if the United States ever faced a real crisis with Trump still in office, it would be a very, very bad thing.
We caught glimpses of how bad things could get before — examples include how close we almost got to nuclear war when he bragged vociferously to Kim Jong Un about the size of his “nuclear button,” or when he very nearly started a war with Iran by assassinating (perhaps illegally) their top general earlier this year.
Those events, thankfully, didn’t end up producing the worst-case scenarios that they could have ended up being. With coronavirus, however, we are slowly, but surely, headed toward disastrous outcomes.
Is it an impeachable offense when a President grossly fails to protect 330 million Americans from a pandemic by doing nothing to stop it for months? Read this history of Trump's bungling and there is only one conclusion: he is unfit to remain as President.https://t.co/xVpvgA3siv — Tom Coleman (@RepTomColeman) March 26, 2020
As of Sunday morning, there have been nearly 2,200 deaths reported as a result of COVID-19 in the U.S., and close to 125,000 cases reported — although, according to some statisticians, the number of cases could be as many as five times greater than what we know.
And yet, through it all — through his insistence on calling the disease a racist name, his spending the entire month of February gloating about himself and calling any criticisms to his lackadaisical approach to the disease a “hoax,” or his promise (which has since been rescinded) that anyone who wanted a test could get one — the president’s approval rating is actually increasing at the moment.
Part of this can be explained as a “rally around the flag” mentality, the idea that, in a crisis situation, a president’s approval rating tends to increase. Nevertheless, a number progressives in my network of friends urgently asked me several times this past week: how in the hell could Trump be getting higher marks after all the failures he’s had, especially with regards to his response to coronavirus?
The answer is actually one that creates more questions than it answers: it’s Democrats that are giving him higher ratings.
Trump Approval Tops Disapproval for First Time in ABC News-Washington Post Poll https://t.co/gGn8DOmL7N via @gatewaypundit — The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) March 27, 2020
Looking at two surveys in particular over the past week — the Economist/YouGov poll and the ABC News/Washington Post poll — a quick glimpse gives progressives worried about this year’s presidential race reason to feel alarmed. Both polls show an increase in Trump’s approval rating, with a 4-point increase in the Economist/YouGov poll versus February’s numbers, and a 5-point increase in the case of the ABC News/Washington Post poll compared to last month’s survey.
In the latter’s case, Trump’s approval rating is actually in the positive column, with 48 percent saying they approve of his job performance and 46 percent saying they disapprove.
Why the big jump? Looking closer at the numbers, mainly at the crosstab data, it’s a small number of Democrats who are giving Trump better numbers — though, reluctantly so, it appears.
In February’s Economist/YouGov numbers, only 7 percent of Democratic-leaning voters said they approved of Trump’s job as president. In March, that number increased to 15 percent. Of that, however, two-thirds of those giving him an “approving” job rating this month said they only “somewhat” approved of his work — perhaps indicative of the “support the president during a crisis” mentality some moderates in the Democratic Party may have.
The same pattern is noticeable in the ABC News/Washington Post poll. In February, only 6 percent gave him approving marks, while 20 percent of Dems said they approved of his job performance in March — but again, of that 20 percent, more than two-thirds said their approval was only “somewhat” (versus less than a third who said they “strongly” approved Trump’s work).
There is evidence elsewhere that independents are giving Trump higher marks, too, but their shift is less pronounced than what some Democrats are doing. So why are Democrats saying they give Trump a good grade now?
Question: "What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?" President Trump: "I say that you're a terrible reporter. That's what I say. I think that's a very nasty question." https://t.co/7Qs1ME25ie pic.twitter.com/IaDJzKyLYn — The Hill (@thehill) March 20, 2020
Like I said before, it could be because some (a small minority) in the Democratic Party believe any president, during a time of crisis, deserves support no matter what. It could also be that some Dems actually believe that Trump has done some good — shifting his tone early last week, for example, away from being antagonistic toward critics to recognizing the pandemic is a real and present danger.
That tone shift, of course, was short-lived. Trump scolded a reporter who dared to suggest Americans were scared about this crisis, and he’s shown more signs since then that he doesn’t intend to make his tonal changes into anything permanent.
Democrats who gave the president positive marks this past week are a minority among those in the party, but they’re also unlikely to vote for Trump when November rolls around. For starters, the fact that they said they approve of him only “somewhat” in the polls demonstrates that their approval of his work is reluctant, at best. Given the choice between Trump and a Democratic candidate for president, this small group of Democrats is likely to choose the latter 99 times out of 100, if not more often than that.
But the approval numbers aren’t likely to stick for another reason: Trump’s gotta be Trump, and he’ll inevitably ruin what little goodwill he earned these past 10 days. It’s just the kind of guy this president is — he can’t help but be a jerk, even during a national crisis, and that’s going to translate into bad grades, sooner rather than later, into his aptitude for the job he presently has.


politicususa--2020-03-29--Trump Sent 17.8 Tons Of US Supplies To China Then Blames Obama For PPE Shortage

Trump is blaming Obama for lack of Personal Protective Equipment to combat the coronavirus , but his administration sent tons of vital US supplies to China .
Trump said during the March 20 coronavirus briefing , “ We inherited an obsolete broken old system that wasn ’ t meant for this .
We discarded that system and we now have a new system that can do millions of people as you need them , but we had to get rid of a broken old system that didn ’ t work.
” The truth is that Trump didn ’ t take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US supplies to China .
According to a press release from the State Department , the US gave 17.8 tons of supplies including ventilators and masks to China : This week the State Department has facilitated the transportation of nearly 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies to the Chinese people , including masks , gowns , gauze , respirators , and other vital materials .
These donations are a testament to the generosity of the American people .
Today , the United States government is announcing it is prepared to spend up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assist China and other impacted countries , both directly and through multilateral organizations , to contain and combat the novel coronavirus .
This commitment – along with the hundreds of millions generously donated by the American private sector – demonstrates strong U.S. leadership in response to the outbreak .
Sec .
of State Mike Pompeo bragged about the federal government acting like a shipping clerk for China : It is true that the national stockpile was not designed to handle a simultaneous crisis in all 50 states , but those tons of supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American lives right now .
The first responders on the front lines of the epidemic would love to have tons of masks coming their way .
Every single ventilator that Trump sent to China could be used to save American lives now and in the future .
It isn ’ t Obama ’ s fault that Trump shut down the White House Pandemic Office and gave away US supplies .
Those were all bad decisions by this president .
The reason why the US is the epicenter of the global coronavirus epidemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Trump is blaming Obama for lack of Personal Protective Equipment to combat the coronavirus, but his administration sent tons of vital US supplies to China.
Trump said during the March 20 coronavirus briefing, “We inherited an obsolete broken old system that wasn’t meant for this. We discarded that system and we now have a new system that can do millions of people as you need them, but we had to get rid of a broken old system that didn’t work.”
The truth is that Trump didn’t take the coronavirus seriously and gave away critical US supplies to China.
According to a press release from the State Department, the US gave 17.8 tons of supplies including ventilators and masks to China:
This week the State Department has facilitated the transportation of nearly 17.8 tons of donated medical supplies to the Chinese people, including masks, gowns, gauze, respirators, and other vital materials. These donations are a testament to the generosity of the American people.
Today, the United States government is announcing it is prepared to spend up to $100 million in existing funds to assist China and other impacted countries, both directly and through multilateral organizations, to contain and combat the novel coronavirus. This commitment – along with the hundreds of millions generously donated by the American private sector – demonstrates strong U.S. leadership in response to the outbreak.
Sec. of State Mike Pompeo bragged about the federal government acting like a shipping clerk for China:
We have coordinated with U.S. organizations to transport more humanitarian relief to people in Wuhan. Personal protective equipment and other medical supplies donated by these organizations can help save lives in #China and help protect people from the #coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/57SN2TXfLP — Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 7, 2020
It is true that the national stockpile was not designed to handle a simultaneous crisis in all 50 states, but those tons of supplies that Trump gave away could be saving American lives right now. The first responders on the front lines of the epidemic would love to have tons of masks coming their way.
Every single ventilator that Trump sent to China could be used to save American lives now and in the future.
It isn’t Obama’s fault that Trump shut down the White House Pandemic Office and gave away US supplies. Those were all bad decisions by this president.
The reason why the US is the epicenter of the global coronavirus epidemic and the domestic economy is collapsed is Donald Trump.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-03-29--Rudy Giuliani’s Twitter Account Suspended For Spreading False Information About Coronavirus

Twitter temporarily suspended the Twitter accounts of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Charlie Kirk for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ tweets and temporarily suspended both accounts .
Trump and his allies have been consistently endangering @ @ @ @ @ falsehoods about the coronavirus .
Trump has been on a campaign to downplay the scope @ @ @ @ @ of the epidemic .
The President has floated numerous crackpot schemes , including the recently @ @ @ @ @ quarantine of states .
Donald Trump is waging war , but it isn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ caused by the coronavirus .
Trump and his friends are fighting a propaganda war against @ @ @ @ @ American people of the truth .
Twitter took action against a couple of Trump defenders @ @ @ @ @ with misinformation .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC @ @

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Twitter temporarily suspended the Twitter accounts of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Charlie Kirk for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus.
Travis Akers tweeted:
JUST IN: Twitter has suspended the account of Rudy Giuliani due to violating their rules of disseminating false information about the coronavirus. — Travis Akers (@travisakers) March 28, 2020
Oliver Darcy confirmed the suspensions:
Twitter spox confirms to me that both @RudyGiuliani and @charliekirk11’s accounts were “temporarily locked for violating the Twitter Rules regarding COVID-19 misinformation.” — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) March 28, 2020
Twitter took down the tweets and temporarily suspended both accounts. Trump and his allies have been consistently endangering public health with misinformation and falsehoods about the coronavirus. Trump has been on a campaign to downplay the scope, severity, and duration of the epidemic.
The President has floated numerous crackpot schemes, including the recently backed off of unconstitutional federal quarantine of states.
Donald Trump is waging war, but it isn’t with the national medical crisis caused by the coronavirus. Trump and his friends are fighting a propaganda war against the facts and informing the American people of the truth.
Twitter took action against a couple of Trump defenders who were endangering American lives with misinformation.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-03-29--Opinion: Coronavirus Questions Values of American Economy Itself, as well as Trump’s

When Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker tried to purchase the protective gear necessary for healthcare workers in his state , the problem wasn ’ t necessarily that the inventories of the equipment he sought didn ’ t exist .
Rather , the obstacle he faced was that the companies warehousing these supplies were sitting on them , letting a bidding war play out between states and between states and the federal government .
These companies wanted to be sure they were securing the highest price before releasing the products absolutely essential to safeguarding the lives of healthcare workers themselves laboring to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest competitor has been the federal government , whose purchasing power enables them routinely to outbid states .
Baker expressed this frustration last Thursday , lamenting , “ I stand here as someone who has had confirmed orders for millions of pieces of gear evaporate in front of us , and I can ’ t tell you how frustrating it is.
” And he insist he is not alone : “ I can ’ t tell you how frustrated governors , including this one , are about the issue associated with landing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to us .
It ’ s happened to many governors across the country.
” He and other governors have called for the Trump administration to spearhead much more rigorously a coordinated effort at the national level .
That the Trump administration has most certainly proven feckless in coordinating any serious response to the COVID-19 pandemic , being slow to act and utterly negligent in either assisting states or enacting a national plan , is absolutely obvious .
And let ’ s not forget Trump ’ s dangerous peddling of misinformation which has impeded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and slow the spread of the virus .
But while certainly governors are right to ask for a more coordinated effort and more assistance from Trump , who has basically told states to fend for themselves and even actively worked against states whose governors have criticized his administration ’ s woeful leadership , a more fundamental issue has gone largely unaddressed : The issue of the values that guide and inform the everyday functioning of the U.S. economic system .
The U.S. system valorizes both competition and the role of the market in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , companies waiting out a bidding war to garner the highest price for their products , even if it looks a little shady and comes off as inhumane in the current environment of coronavirus pandemic , is really just a case of these companies abiding by , even celebrating , the values America typically hails as definitive , at least in part , of its exceptionality .
American capitalism , rooted in so-called free markets , adheres strongly to , indeed valorizes , the sentiment of “ whatever the market can bear.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cornerstone of American freedom , no ?
Well , the coronavirus seems to be calling in to question the effectiveness of markets in the American capitalist economy .
Let ’ s remember that the primary point , the main function , of an economy is to produce and distribute goods and services as efficiently and effectively as possible to meet the needs of those living in that economy .
Clearly , the ethos of competition is not yielding this result at this crucial moment .
Competition is inhibiting the distribution of goods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives , not enhancing it .
We really can ’ t even talk about competition as an ethos because it is hard to see any ethical dimension , any human benefit , to this economic competition and market behavior .
The conventional wisdom is that competition is necessary to incentivize people to do their best , thus producing the highest functioning world .
The coronavirus reveals , more than arguably I think , that cooperation , collaboration , and coordination would be more effective values in organizing our economic behavior to meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thinker Peter Kropotkin has expressed it in his landmark 1902 work Mutual Aid , the strongest people are the most cooperative people , and the strongest societies are the most cooperative societies .
So , does this competitive behavior and the overall mechanism of having the market determine value just look a little shady and more than a tad inhumane because of the particular context of the coronavirus pandemic , or have we just been blinded to the bankruptcy of these values in pre-coronavirus everyday life in the American capitalist system ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Politicususa , our for-profit capitalist has , particularly in the private healthcare industry , inarguably hobbled rather than advanced efforts to address the pandemic .
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo , for example , has been clear that private hospitals , operating to produce profit , limit the number of beds so they don ’ t carry excess capacity , which is inefficient in the capitalist business model .
Similarly , hospitals and companies do not stockpile goods , as capitalist models of efficiency , striving for leanness , dictate just-in-time rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective in generating profit and to remain most competitive in business and industry .
But , it ain ’ t workin ’ in terms of serving the lives of we humans living—or trying to live—in this system .
Rather , the values of the capitalist marketplace , including competition , are and have been obstructing the project of mutual aid , our ability to address human needs and the nation ’ s health .
Trump finally invoked the national defense act to compel private companies to direct production to public health needs because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We need only look to the pharmaceutical industry to see how , for example , EpiPens have been outrageously priced to prohibit access to people , especially children , with allergies who need these devices potentially to save their lives .
Or , we can look at how other big pharma corporations , fueled in the competitive drive for profit , marketed and oversold opioids to the detriment of human life , costing many lives in fact .
The coronavirus pandemic is only making clear the content of America ’ s dominant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been blind in everyday life in America .
We see it even now .
Governor ’ s rightly blaming Trump , but letting our system and its values off the hook .

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When Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker tried to purchase the protective gear necessary for healthcare workers in his state, the problem wasn’t necessarily that the inventories of the equipment he sought didn’t exist. Rather, the obstacle he faced was that the companies warehousing these supplies were sitting on them, letting a bidding war play out between states and between states and the federal government.
These companies wanted to be sure they were securing the highest price before releasing the products absolutely essential to safeguarding the lives of healthcare workers themselves laboring to save American lives.
For Baker, the biggest competitor has been the federal government, whose purchasing power enables them routinely to outbid states.
Baker expressed this frustration last Thursday, lamenting, “I stand here as someone who has had confirmed orders for millions of pieces of gear evaporate in front of us, and I can’t tell you how frustrating it is.”
And he insist he is not alone: “I can’t tell you how frustrated governors, including this one, are about the issue associated with landing the order. It’s happened to us. It’s happened to many governors across the country.”
He and other governors have called for the Trump administration to spearhead much more rigorously a coordinated effort at the national level.
That the Trump administration has most certainly proven feckless in coordinating any serious response to the COVID-19 pandemic, being slow to act and utterly negligent in either assisting states or enacting a national plan, is absolutely obvious. And let’s not forget Trump’s dangerous peddling of misinformation which has impeded the nation’s ability to combat and slow the spread of the virus.
But while certainly governors are right to ask for a more coordinated effort and more assistance from Trump, who has basically told states to fend for themselves and even actively worked against states whose governors have criticized his administration’s woeful leadership, a more fundamental issue has gone largely unaddressed:
The issue of the values that guide and inform the everyday functioning of the U.S. economic system.
The U.S. system valorizes both competition and the role of the market in determining the value of commodities.
So, companies waiting out a bidding war to garner the highest price for their products, even if it looks a little shady and comes off as inhumane in the current environment of coronavirus pandemic, is really just a case of these companies abiding by, even celebrating, the values America typically hails as definitive, at least in part, of its exceptionality.
American capitalism, rooted in so-called free markets, adheres strongly to, indeed valorizes, the sentiment of “whatever the market can bear.” The “free market” economy is the cornerstone of American freedom, no?
Well, the coronavirus seems to be calling in to question the effectiveness of markets in the American capitalist economy.
Let’s remember that the primary point, the main function, of an economy is to produce and distribute goods and services as efficiently and effectively as possible to meet the needs of those living in that economy.
Clearly, the ethos of competition is not yielding this result at this crucial moment. Competition is inhibiting the distribution of goods and services to aid the saving of lives, not enhancing it.
We really can’t even talk about competition as an ethos because it is hard to see any ethical dimension, any human benefit, to this economic competition and market behavior.
The conventional wisdom is that competition is necessary to incentivize people to do their best, thus producing the highest functioning world.
The coronavirus reveals, more than arguably I think, that cooperation, collaboration, and coordination would be more effective values in organizing our economic behavior to meet the needs of the American people. As the thinker Peter Kropotkin has expressed it in his landmark 1902 work Mutual Aid, the strongest people are the most cooperative people, and the strongest societies are the most cooperative societies.
So, does this competitive behavior and the overall mechanism of having the market determine value just look a little shady and more than a tad inhumane because of the particular context of the coronavirus pandemic, or have we just been blinded to the bankruptcy of these values in pre-coronavirus everyday life in the American capitalist system?
Well, as I pointed out recently on Politicususa, our for-profit capitalist has, particularly in the private healthcare industry, inarguably hobbled rather than advanced efforts to address the pandemic. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, for example, has been clear that private hospitals, operating to produce profit, limit the number of beds so they don’t carry excess capacity, which is inefficient in the capitalist business model. Similarly, hospitals and companies do not stockpile goods, as capitalist models of efficiency, striving for leanness, dictate just-in-time rather than just-in-case inventory management to be most effective in generating profit and to remain most competitive in business and industry.
But, it ain’t workin’ in terms of serving the lives of we humans living—or trying to live—in this system.
Rather, the values of the capitalist marketplace, including competition, are and have been obstructing the project of mutual aid, our ability to address human needs and the nation’s health.
Trump finally invoked the national defense act to compel private companies to direct production to public health needs because the capitalist market failed in this regard.
We need only look to the pharmaceutical industry to see how, for example, EpiPens have been outrageously priced to prohibit access to people, especially children, with allergies who need these devices potentially to save their lives. Or, we can look at how other big pharma corporations, fueled in the competitive drive for profit, marketed and oversold opioids to the detriment of human life, costing many lives in fact.
The coronavirus pandemic is only making clear the content of America’s dominant market values to which we have largely been blind in everyday life in America.
We see it even now. Governor’s rightly blaming Trump, but letting our system and its values off the hook.


politicususa--2020-03-29--Florida Governor Bans Reporter From Coronavirus Briefings Because She Asked For Social Distancing

Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) has banned a reporter from his coronavirus briefings because she requested that the briefings practice social distancing .
Mary Ellen Klas , the Herald ’ s bureau chief for the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau , said she was refused entry into the Capitol in Tallahassee to attend a press briefing by the governor , lieutenant governor , director of emergency management and state surgeon general regarding COVID-19 testing , access to medicine and efforts to prevent New Yorkers from flying into the state .
Klas said later in an interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was refusing her access into the Capitol because she had requested “ social distancing ” at the governor ’ s briefings .
Days earlier , Klas asked that the governor ’ s staff help protect reporters by holding Zoom-style video conference press briefings so that questions could be asked without requiring reporters to gather in close proximity .
The reporter was asking for the governor of Florida to follow the guidance of both the CDC and public health experts for the safety of reporters and everyone in attendance , which it should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response from the administration was to ban her .
Reporters do vital work every single day .
Without journalists and reporters on the scene , the news could become nothing more than unchallenged propaganda .
Gov .
DeSantis is partially responsible for the fact that coronavirus cases have surged to over 4,000 because he refused to cancel spring break and has been slow to put other restrictions in place .
The governor is helping Trump to blame the spread of the virus in Florida on New Yorkers .
Republicans are trying to downplay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent is that if anyone in the state of Florida asks for basic safety precautions , the governor will retaliate .
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group .

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has banned a reporter from his coronavirus briefings because she requested that the briefings practice social distancing.
Via The Miami Herald:
Mary Ellen Klas, the Herald’s bureau chief for the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee Bureau, said she was refused entry into the Capitol in Tallahassee to attend a press briefing by the governor, lieutenant governor, director of emergency management and state surgeon general regarding COVID-19 testing, access to medicine and efforts to prevent New Yorkers from flying into the state.
…..
Klas said later in an interview that Beatrice also told her the state was refusing her access into the Capitol because she had requested “social distancing” at the governor’s briefings. Days earlier, Klas asked that the governor’s staff help protect reporters by holding Zoom-style video conference press briefings so that questions could be asked without requiring reporters to gather in close proximity.
The reporter was asking for the governor of Florida to follow the guidance of both the CDC and public health experts for the safety of reporters and everyone in attendance, which it should be noted also includes the governor, the response from the administration was to ban her.
Reporters do vital work every single day. Without journalists and reporters on the scene, the news could become nothing more than unchallenged propaganda.
Gov. DeSantis is partially responsible for the fact that coronavirus cases have surged to over 4,000 because he refused to cancel spring break and has been slow to put other restrictions in place. The governor is helping Trump to blame the spread of the virus in Florida on New Yorkers.
Republicans are trying to downplay the virus, and the message being sent is that if anyone in the state of Florida asks for basic safety precautions, the governor will retaliate.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook


politicususa--2020-03-28--Opinion: Trump Proves He is More Monstrous Every Day

During a week when we became number one for coronavirus cases in the world and when we saw the death toll multiplying at dizzy rates , Trump stuck to happy talk .
The current number of 1600-plus deaths is likely to be much larger by the time this column is published .
( You can see how much here . )
There are those are masters at arousing emotions .
But perhaps because of years of writing for academic journals and preparing legal documents , I ’ ve learned to self-edit to the point of understating my complete contempt for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have a monster for a leader .
Previously , I said that life during this public health crises really is bad if you ’ re an American citizen and it ’ s even worse if you ’ re an immigrant .
I ’ ve written about the conditions that innocent asylum seekers live in .
The concentration camps , the cages , the rotten food , the lack of soap , hot water , shampoo , toothpaste .
It ’ s what you would expect from someone as monstrous as Stephen Miller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Donald J. Trump .
If you aren ’ t outraged because Immigration judges were ordered to continue to hold deportation proceedings during this pandemic , I don ’ t know how to make you feel the outrage .
If you aren ’ t disgusted by the likelihood that COVID-19 will spread like wildfire among children and people of all ages being held by ICE and border control , I honestly don ’ t know what words you need to move you .
If you aren ’ t disgusted by Trump insisting on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want lifesaving respirators , I doubt there is anything I can say that will change that .
We live in times when some of us want to turn off emotions because it hurts too much .
At least , it does for me .
The absence of expressing them doesn ’ t mean they don ’ t exist .
In fact , they lurk beneath the surface as we fumble our way through the worst public health crises in over one hundred years .
Fear figured prominently this week as two people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be tested .
Fortunately , by the grace of God , they are feeling better .
But , many families are mourning , and they are mourning because Donald Trump is the monster who tried to dismiss the coronavirus as a Chinese hoax and “ fake news ” put out by the “ Democrat Party ” because , even as thousands of people fall ill and die , he still thinks it ’ s all about him .
Donald Trump dreams of opening the country for business at Easter .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust them to go about business as usual .
Within the next week or two , we will see numbers in those states as scary as the ones in New York .
Even without that , people will die because of his actions .
Families will be shattered .
Nothing about this should need especially poetic , emotion-inducing prose .
The facts speak for themselves !
Doctors are readying themselves to prioritize who gets respirators and who gets pain management as they suffocate to death .
No one should have to make such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to be this way .
It ’ s a fact that we had a pandemic plan and infrastructure .
It is also a fact that monster in the White House destroyed it because of his obsession with erasing everything Barack Obama did during his presidency .
That ’ s the most maddening thing of all .
Trump destroyed the things designed to defend America from the deadly pandemic .
He destroyed protecting Americans because he couldn ’ t stand a black man being president .
There are some positive elements in all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by both Democrats and Republicans , Trump finally signed an imperfect aid package .
Ever determined to prove how small he is , though , Trump refused to invite Democrats to the signing ceremony .
That ’ s actually a good thing , because we know he ’ s been exposed to COVID-19 .
So we should be glad that rather than feeling snubbed , Democrats had the good sense to socially distance from a man who cares more about social distancing from the truth than from a deadly virus .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recognizing that we are on our own because there ’ s a monster in our White House .
We saw great leadership from governors like Andrew Cuomo , Jay Inslee and Gretchen Whitmer this past week .
They showed evidence of understanding how quickly the virus spreads and at what point the curve collapses the healthcare system .
They ’ ve done things within their powers , looking at less-safe treatment options , at creating hospitals out of stadiums and hotels .
( One particular hotel comes to mind . )
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plead with Trump on live television , but then we hear him grouse about how all they do is “ take , take , take ” .
Amid these emotion-rousing , outrage-inducing facts , amid the grander landscape of Trump ’ s affront to the nation , is an affront to our nation ’ s capital .
The same COVID-19 bill that is so generous to the rest of the country gives less to Washington than it ought to .
Traditionally it would be treated like a state .
Instead it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Washington , DC , which pays more per capita in taxes than many states , is also the site of the Trump International Hotel .
I so wish District of Columbia council would expropriate this crown jewel of the Trump empire .
It ’ s nowhere nearly enough to make up the difference , but it hits the monster in what passes for his heart .

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During a week when we became number one for coronavirus cases in the world and when we saw the death toll multiplying at dizzy rates, Trump stuck to happy talk.
The current number of 1600-plus deaths is likely to be much larger by the time this column is published. (You can see how much here .)
There are those are masters at arousing emotions. But perhaps because of years of writing for academic journals and preparing legal documents, I’ve learned to self-edit to the point of understating my complete contempt for this administration. The facts tell us we have a monster for a leader.
Previously, I said that life during this public health crises really is bad if you’re an American citizen and it’s even worse if you’re an immigrant.
I’ve written about the conditions that innocent asylum seekers live in. The concentration camps, the cages, the rotten food, the lack of soap, hot water, shampoo, toothpaste. It’s what you would expect from someone as monstrous as Stephen Miller and the man who follows his advice, Donald J. Trump.
If you aren’t outraged because Immigration judges were ordered to continue to hold deportation proceedings during this pandemic, I don’t know how to make you feel the outrage.
If you aren’t disgusted by the likelihood that COVID-19 will spread like wildfire among children and people of all ages being held by ICE and border control, I honestly don’t know what words you need to move you.
If you aren’t disgusted by Trump insisting on a bit of suck-up from governors if they want lifesaving respirators, I doubt there is anything I can say that will change that.
We live in times when some of us want to turn off emotions because it hurts too much. At least, it does for me. The absence of expressing them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. In fact, they lurk beneath the surface as we fumble our way through the worst public health crises in over one hundred years.
Fear figured prominently this week as two people dear to me showed symptoms but couldn’t be tested. Fortunately, by the grace of God, they are feeling better. But, many families are mourning, and they are mourning because Donald Trump is the monster who tried to dismiss the coronavirus as a Chinese hoax and “fake news” put out by the “Democrat Party” because, even as thousands of people fall ill and die, he still thinks it’s all about him.
Donald Trump dreams of opening the country for business at Easter. Some pro-Trump governors still encourage the people who trust them to go about business as usual. Within the next week or two, we will see numbers in those states as scary as the ones in New York.
Even without that, people will die because of his actions. Families will be shattered. Nothing about this should need especially poetic, emotion-inducing prose. The facts speak for themselves!
Doctors are readying themselves to prioritize who gets respirators and who gets pain management as they suffocate to death. No one should have to make such decisions.
And it didn’t have to be this way. It’s a fact that we had a pandemic plan and infrastructure. It is also a fact that monster in the White House destroyed it because of his obsession with erasing everything Barack Obama did during his presidency.
That’s the most maddening thing of all. Trump destroyed the things designed to defend America from the deadly pandemic. He destroyed protecting Americans because he couldn’t stand a black man being president.
There are some positive elements in all this. After a week of negotiations by both Democrats and Republicans, Trump finally signed an imperfect aid package. Ever determined to prove how small he is, though, Trump refused to invite Democrats to the signing ceremony.
That’s actually a good thing, because we know he’s been exposed to COVID-19. So we should be glad that rather than feeling snubbed, Democrats had the good sense to socially distance from a man who cares more about social distancing from the truth than from a deadly virus.
Meanwhile, we’ve seen America coming together, recognizing that we are on our own because there’s a monster in our White House. We saw great leadership from governors like Andrew Cuomo, Jay Inslee and Gretchen Whitmer this past week. They showed evidence of understanding how quickly the virus spreads and at what point the curve collapses the healthcare system. They’ve done things within their powers, looking at less-safe treatment options, at creating hospitals out of stadiums and hotels. (One particular hotel comes to mind.)
At the same time, we saw them plead with Trump on live television, but then we hear him grouse about how all they do is “take, take, take”.
Amid these emotion-rousing, outrage-inducing facts, amid the grander landscape of Trump’s affront to the nation, is an affront to our nation’s capital. The same COVID-19 bill that is so generous to the rest of the country gives less to Washington than it ought to. Traditionally it would be treated like a state. Instead it’s ripped off by some 700 million dollars.
But Washington, DC, which pays more per capita in taxes than many states, is also the site of the Trump International Hotel. I so wish District of Columbia council would expropriate this crown jewel of the Trump empire. It’s nowhere nearly enough to make up the difference, but it hits the monster in what passes for his heart.
Note: Occasional PoliticusUSA writer Tobias Grant contributed to this column.


politicususa--2020-03-28--Opinion: Defiant evangelicals are part of Trump’s death cult with Americans’ blood on their hands

It is not entirely clear if an alarming number of churches flagrantly defying social distancing orders are doing so for the money or for Trump ’ s reelection efforts , but they are jeopardizing the population as well as their fellow zealots .
Regardless the reason for the “ pack the churches ” crusade , it is driven by Trump ’ s greed and lust for power – exactly like the evangelical malcontents endangering American lives .
Like all pathological narcissists , Donald Trump has likely never sacrificed anything for anyone throughout his pathetic entitled life .
However , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the religious right movement sacrifice their health and well-being , including their lives , for his reelection campaign .
It is unfortunate , to say the least , that encouraging the faithful to “ pack the churches ” not only endangers the lives of Trump ’ s most dependable voting bloc , it will also hasten the spread of COVID-19 and indiscriminately kill sane Americans and the faithful alike – just to benefit Trump ’ s reelection effort .
Trump ’ s call to “ pack the churches ” on Easter was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection as well as his nonstop pandering to evangelical fanatics .
There have been no small number of reports of Christian clergy openly violating orders meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus .
Those violations are , more often than not , a concerted effort to reelect Trump and drain more money from “ the faithful.
” One preacher in Louisiana willingly violated a governor ’ s “ stay at home ” order , endangering his congregants ’ lives , because he knows that “ COVID–19 poses no risk to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hurt Trump.
” The preacher ’ s service drew 1,800 attendees – many of whom were transported using twenty-six buses to bring potential victims and transmitters to a single location from across five parishes .
It is astounding that 1,800 people were willing to endanger their own lives for Trump , but it is beyond comprehension that those attendees felt comfortable returning to their communities to spread the virus .
They are most likely convinced that even if they are infected , the preacher will keep his promise to “ address that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them.
” A different , Florida evangelical , preacher said his congregants are “ not pansies ” who are afraid of COVID-19 .
Indeed , he remarked on Sunday past that “ he was ‘ excited ’ and ‘ emotional ’ at the prospect that the pandemic could be ‘ the end of days.
’ ” Another member of Trump ’ s death cult and reelection effort , the “ shamelessly greedy ” president of Liberty University , wasn ’ t satisfied spending weeks following Trump ’ s lead in downplaying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , Jerry Falwell Jr. , embraced Trump ’ s propaganda campaign and accused the media of wildly exaggerating the devastation wrought by COVID-19 to “ destroy the American economy and damage Donald Trump.
” Despite nearly every university and college in the country shuttering their campuses , Falwell is happy to welcome back 5,000-plus students from Spring Break festivities – no doubt to keep the dollars flowing .
Falwell , like his “ anointed one ” Trump , has no regard for either the risk to 5,000 students enrolled or the thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding area .
Earlier this month Falwell went on an “ unhinged rant “ forTrump ’ s campaign to declare : “ The entire world has deliberately overreacted to the coronavirus pandemic solely to hurt Donald Trump .
Impeachment didn ’ t work , and the Mueller report didn ’ t work , and Article 25 ( sic ) didn ’ t work , and so now this is their next attempt to get Trump.
” In Kentucky , two of the state ’ s first eight cases attended church together in spite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to close all gatherings leading one preacher to attempt to cover his disregard for rules protecting public health .
The preacher said his church took precautions to protect congregants instead of following an edict from the governor that led to an infected “ visitor ” interacting with about 300 other attendees .
The preacher complained that his church is paying “ a pretty heavy price ” for defying Governor Beshear ’ s order , but it ’ s not his fault .
He said : “ Right or wrong , people are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to believe .
I don ’ t know if I could say anything that could make any difference .
So I won ’ t even try at this time.
” Like all of his cohort , the preacher could have made a difference and prevented the spread of the virus if he had followed the law , like his Christian bible commands ; and he would not have had to utter one word .
Look , it appears that the preponderance of churches are looking out for their congregations ’ health and welfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That aspect of the COVID-19 ’ s state level restrictions was not lost on Mike ( preacher ) Pence or dirty Don Trump .
“ One thing the president and I promised was to remind people that on the weekends that you ’ re not in the pews , it ’ s still a good — it ’ s still a good idea … to go ahead and make that donation .
All the ministries are continuing to play a vital role in our communities and we encourage your continued [ financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually playing a “ vital role ” in their communities , which they are not , they are already sucking up billions of taxpayers ’ money yearly , and yet Pence used a government-funded task force event to officially ask for more .
There can be little doubt that Pence and Trump “ promised ” the White House ’ s theocratic overlords that they would not forget who aided Trump ’ s ascendancy to a place he does not belong .
It would be a national atrocity if even one member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep donations rolling in , but this is a trend that ’ s gaining steam .
That the evangelical clergy are risking their adherents ’ lives for the sake of Trump ’ s reelection campaign demonstrates their blatant disregard for their own followers .
Sadly , those followers are not isolated from the general public and that makes their greedy preachers as guilty as Trump in spreading the coronavirus across America .
There are myriad reasons to detest the growing power of the evangelical right , but prior to the COVID-19 pandemic one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilt – that is not the case any longer .
Trump is responsible for allowing the coronavirus to spread throughout the population and he does have Americans ’ blood on his tiny hands .
However , he is not alone and it is no surprise that the so-called pro-life evangelicals are actively spreading a deadly virus to aid in Trump ’ s reelection effort making them as guilty as Trump .
And like Trump , they must be severely punished .

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It is not entirely clear if an alarming number of churches flagrantly defying social distancing orders are doing so for the money or for Trump’s reelection efforts, but they are jeopardizing the population as well as their fellow zealots. Regardless the reason for the “pack the churches” crusade, it is driven by Trump’s greed and lust for power – exactly like the evangelical malcontents endangering American lives.
Like all pathological narcissists, Donald Trump has likely never sacrificed anything for anyone throughout his pathetic entitled life. However, Trump has no problem demanding that his acolytes in the religious right movement sacrifice their health and well-being, including their lives, for his reelection campaign.
It is unfortunate, to say the least, that encouraging the faithful to “pack the churches” not only endangers the lives of Trump’s most dependable voting bloc, it will also hasten the spread of COVID-19 and indiscriminately kill sane Americans and the faithful alike – just to benefit Trump’s reelection effort.
Trump’s call to “pack the churches” on Easter was part of his three-and-a-half year campaign for reelection as well as his nonstop pandering to evangelical fanatics. There have been no small number of reports of Christian clergy openly violating orders meant to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Those violations are, more often than not, a concerted effort to reelect Trump and drain more money from “the faithful.”
One preacher in Louisiana willingly violated a governor’s “stay at home” order, endangering his congregants’ lives, because he knows that “COVID–19 poses no risk to his congregation because the virus is politically motivated to hurt Trump.”
The preacher’s service drew 1,800 attendees – many of whom were transported using twenty-six buses to bring potential victims and transmitters to a single location from across five parishes. It is astounding that 1,800 people were willing to endanger their own lives for Trump, but it is beyond comprehension that those attendees felt comfortable returning to their communities to spread the virus. They are most likely convinced that even if they are infected, the preacher will keep his promise to “address that by laying hands on them and praying for them.”
A different, Florida evangelical, preacher said his congregants are “not pansies” who are afraid of COVID-19. Indeed, he remarked on Sunday past that “he was ‘excited’ and ‘emotional’ at the prospect that the pandemic could be ‘the end of days.’”
Another member of Trump’s death cult and reelection effort, the “shamelessly greedy” president of Liberty University, wasn’t satisfied spending weeks following Trump’s lead in downplaying the coronavirus threat. Liberty University’s president, Jerry Falwell Jr., embraced Trump’s propaganda campaign and accused the media of wildly exaggerating the devastation wrought by COVID-19 to “destroy the American economy and damage Donald Trump.”
Despite nearly every university and college in the country shuttering their campuses, Falwell is happy to welcome back 5,000-plus students from Spring Break festivities – no doubt to keep the dollars flowing. Falwell, like his “anointed one” Trump, has no regard for either the risk to 5,000 students enrolled or the thousands of people they interact with in the surrounding area.
Earlier this month Falwell went on an “unhinged rant“ forTrump’s campaign to declare:
“The entire world has deliberately overreacted to the coronavirus pandemic solely to hurt President Donald Trump. Impeachment didn’t work, and the Mueller report didn’t work, and Article 25 (sic) didn’t work, and so now this is their next attempt to get Trump.”
In Kentucky, two of the state’s first eight cases attended church together in spite of Governor Andy Beshear’s order to close all gatherings leading one preacher to attempt to cover his disregard for rules protecting public health. The preacher said his church took precautions to protect congregants instead of following an edict from the governor that led to an infected “visitor” interacting with about 300 other attendees. The preacher complained that his church is paying “a pretty heavy price” for defying Governor Beshear’s order, but it’s not his fault. He said:
“Right or wrong, people are going to determine and decide what they want to believe. I don’t know if I could say anything that could make any difference. So I won’t even try at this time.”
Like all of his cohort, the preacher could have made a difference and prevented the spread of the virus if he had followed the law, like his Christian bible commands; and he would not have had to utter one word.
Look, it appears that the preponderance of churches are looking out for their congregations’ health and welfare, but they still want their money. That aspect of the COVID-19’s state level restrictions was not lost on Mike (preacher) Pence or dirty Don Trump.
During a CoronaVirus Task Force update, Pence said:
“One thing the president and I promised was to remind people that on the weekends that you’re not in the pews, it’s still a good — it’s still a good idea … to go ahead and make that donation. All the ministries are continuing to play a vital role in our communities and we encourage your continued [financial] support.”
Even if ministries were actually playing a “vital role” in their communities, which they are not, they are already sucking up billions of taxpayers’ money yearly, and yet Pence used a government-funded task force event to officially ask for more. There can be little doubt that Pence and Trump “promised” the White House’s theocratic overlords that they would not forget who aided Trump’s ascendancy to a place he does not belong.
It would be a national atrocity if even one member of the evangelical clergy deliberately jeopardized American lives to keep donations rolling in, but this is a trend that’s gaining steam. That the evangelical clergy are risking their adherents’ lives for the sake of Trump’s reelection campaign demonstrates their blatant disregard for their own followers. Sadly, those followers are not isolated from the general public and that makes their greedy preachers as guilty as Trump in spreading the coronavirus across America.
There are myriad reasons to detest the growing power of the evangelical right, but prior to the COVID-19 pandemic one would be hard pressed to assign blood guilt – that is not the case any longer.
Trump is responsible for allowing the coronavirus to spread throughout the population and he does have Americans’ blood on his tiny hands. However, he is not alone and it is no surprise that the so-called pro-life evangelicals are actively spreading a deadly virus to aid in Trump’s reelection effort making them as guilty as Trump. And like Trump, they must be severely punished.


politicususa--2020-03-28--Trump Approval Ratings Plummet 13 Points On Coronavirus

A daily tracking poll on the coronavirus has found that approval of Trump ’ s handling of the epidemic has plunged a net 13 points in less than a week .
– More Americans now disapprove than approve of President Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic for the first time in our daily tracking polls .
• – His net approval on coronavirus has fallen 13 points over the course of the week ( from +10 to -3 ) .
– This is a substantial decline from an apparent peak in his approval at the start of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the president ’ s overall approval rating ( 46 % approve/52 % disapprove.
?
Here is the chart : The coronavirus epidemic is moving so quickly that traditional polling can ’ t keep up with it .
The polls that were released earlier in the week showing approval of how Trump is handling the crisis and a small bump in his approval ratings were not accurate real-time reflections of what was happening in the country .
Joe Biden leads Trump by nine points in the latest Fox News poll .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as higher until the pandemic spread and people began to lose their jobs .
The drop in Trump ’ s approval rating reflects how the national situation is deteriorating , but also collective unease with how he is trying to rush the country back to work before the epidemic has peaked .
Trump ’ s poll numbers should continue to plunge for as long as the crisis worsens .
The poll numbers have flipped and they are not going to get any better anytime soon for Donald Trump .

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A daily tracking poll on the coronavirus has found that approval of Trump’s handling of the epidemic has plunged a net 13 points in less than a week.
Via Navigator Research:
– More Americans now disapprove than approve of President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic for the first time in our daily tracking polls. •
– His net approval on coronavirus has fallen 13 points over the course of the week (from +10 to -3).
– This is a substantial decline from an apparent peak in his approval at the start of the week, and it is increasingly converging with the president’s overall approval rating (46% approve/52% disapprove.?
Here is the chart:
The coronavirus epidemic is moving so quickly that traditional polling can’t keep up with it. The polls that were released earlier in the week showing approval of how Trump is handling the crisis and a small bump in his approval ratings were not accurate real-time reflections of what was happening in the country.
Joe Biden leads Trump by nine points in the latest Fox News poll. Trump’s approval rating was going to register as higher until the pandemic spread and people began to lose their jobs.
The drop in Trump’s approval rating reflects how the national situation is deteriorating, but also collective unease with how he is trying to rush the country back to work before the epidemic has peaked.
Trump’s poll numbers should continue to plunge for as long as the crisis worsens. The poll numbers have flipped and they are not going to get any better anytime soon for Donald Trump.


politicususa--2020-03-30--Fox News, Not Doctors, Convinced Trump To Extend Social Distancing Restrictions

It was watching Fox News , not the meetings with doctors and healthcare experts , that convinced Trump to extend the social distancing restrictions .
Jonathan Swan of Axios said on MSNBC , “ The Oval Office meeting on Sunday afternoon I think has been a little overdramatized .
I ’ m told by people who are familiar with his thinking he made up his mind effectively before that it was sort of a final meeting where Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx presented the statistics , but he ’ s already made up his mind , and really on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how long .
There were several factors One the television he was watching , the images he was seeing out of New York on Fox brought this home .
Obviously , the numbers he heard , but He had assurances from the Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin that the stimulus package would be enough to sort of cushion the employee in the short term and he felt this was a less risky option of extending it rather than taking the blame for an untold death count.
” The stimulus checks aren ’ t going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for another month , because most people won ’ t be receiving their payments for weeks .
Trump didn ’ t make his decision based on experts and scientists .
He decided to do the right thing for the country because the images that he saw on Fox News upset him .
Donald Trump is making life and death decisions based on what he sees on TV , which is why this nation must rely on state and local officials instead of the president .
For more discussion about this story join our @ @ @ @ @ @

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It was watching Fox News, not the meetings with doctors and healthcare experts, that convinced Trump to extend the social distancing restrictions.
Jonathan Swan of Axios said on MSNBC, “The Oval Office meeting on Sunday afternoon I think has been a little overdramatized. I’m told by people who are familiar with his thinking he made up his mind effectively before that it was sort of a final meeting where Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx presented the statistics, but he’s already made up his mind, and really on Friday, it was just a question of how long. There were several factors One the television he was watching, the images he was seeing out of New York on Fox brought this home. Obviously, the numbers he heard, but He had assurances from the Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin that the stimulus package would be enough to sort of cushion the employee in the short term and he felt this was a less risky option of extending it rather than taking the blame for an untold death count.”
Video:
Trump decided to extend the social distancing restrictions after watching Fox News. pic.twitter.com/HrCJVJ9sFt — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 30, 2020
The stimulus checks aren’t going to be enough to cushion the blow for another month, because most people won’t be receiving their payments for weeks.
Trump didn’t make his decision based on experts and scientists. He decided to do the right thing for the country because the images that he saw on Fox News upset him.
Donald Trump is making life and death decisions based on what he sees on TV, which is why this nation must rely on state and local officials instead of the president.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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