theguardian--2020-10-07--'You over-treat or under-treat': the problem of VIP patients like Trump

Here is a statement taken for granted : Donald Trump will have the best care available for his diagnosis of Covid-19 .
In a literal sense that is true – he will have an attentive , round-the-clock medical team .
This is essential for any ill president .
But in medicine there are many cautionary tales of “ VIP syndrome ” – the special treatment given by doctors to the wealthy , famous , powerful or politically connected and how that does not always lead to the best medical outcomes .
“ In the case of President Trump … you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr Andrés Martin , a professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine ’ s child study center , referring to the feelings a doctor might have toward a patient .
“ If I screw up , or if I piss him off , is he going to treat me like Biden ?
” Trump ’ s medical team will face a veritable minefield as they attempt to form an alliance with the commander-in-chief , a notoriously demanding , publicity-conscious patient who views disease as personal weakness , and diet and exercise with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humans , ” said Dr Shoa Clarke , a preventive cardiologist at Stanford University who has written about VIP patients , called “ red blanket ” patients in some hospitals .
“ We ’ re influenced by our own biases , conscious or subconscious , and we can be influenced by the people we see when we ’ re trying to take care of them .
“ That certainly applies when dealing with patients who are politicians , ” Clarke added .
Trump announced he was Covid-19 positive early on Friday morning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ military medical center the same day , a move White House physician Dr Sean Conley later said , was out of “ an abundance of caution ” .
Sowing confusion , the president ’ s condition was later described in more serious terms , even as he recorded videos and rode in a much criticized motorcade to greet supporters .
The president has now left the hospital to be treated at the White House medical unit , likened to a “ mini-urgent care ” .
In a video shot moments after his return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he had already beat the disease .
“ Don ’ t let it dominate you , ” he said , not wearing a mask , despite almost certainly still being infectious .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of it , you ’ re going to beat it , we have the best medical equipment , we have the best medicine.
” Trump has certainly had the most advanced medicine .
He was treated with at least three drugs – an experimental monoclonal antibody from Regeneron , antiviral remdesivir and steroid dexamethasone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with “ severe ” Covid-19 or a “ life-threatening ” condition .
Average Americans will not have access to Regeneron ’ s antibody cocktail , and certainly not at the dose Trump took , which was three times greater than what is being studied .
Regeneron ’ s chief scientific officer , George Yancopoulos , acknowledged this special treatment .
“ If I had to treat one patient , I ’ d give the high dose , ” Yancopoulos said , according to Science magazine .
“ From a societal point of view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people as possible , I ’ d give the lower dose.
” Remdesivir has been in short supply for months .
It only became available for hospitals to buy from the distributor , rather than the US government , the same day Trump is believed to have received his first positive Covid-19 test .
Dexamethasone is normally reserved only for severely ill patients .
All of this special treatment underlines the inequality in America ’ s medical system – regular people have to jump through bureaucratic hoops and pay exorbitant prices for healthcare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthy for the patient it is bestowed on either .
“ You over-treat or you under-treat , but rarely do you treat as a usual patient , ” who is a VIP , said Martin .
“ Why is he leaving now ?
Well , they ’ re under-treating him .
Why did he get [ monoclonal antibody ] plasma and steroids ?
Because they ’ re over-treating him .
It ’ s certainly not treatment as usual.
” This paradox , that treating the privilege can leave the privileged worse off or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traced far back into our history , according to Dr Walter Weintraub , the venerated University of Maryland psychiatry professor who coined the term “ VIP syndrome ” in 1964 .
“ The well-known cases of King George III of England and King Ludwig II of Bavaria can clearly demonstrate that the treatment of an influential man can be extremely hazardous for both patient and doctor , ” he wrote in that seminal paper referring to two famously mentally unbalanced European monarchs .
The term has also been referenced following the deaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jackson to Prince to legendary comedian Joan Rivers .
VIP syndrome can lead doctors to be starstruck , attempt to be too thorough or too hands off , or hope to please the prominent person .
In an academic paper , Martin gave one example of the treatment of a prominent person ’ s 14-year-old daughter .
A thorough joint psychiatry appointment with her parents led to a diagnosis of depression and “ psychogenic vomiting ” .
But before her third psychiatry appointment , she went to the emergency room .
Once there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for cocaine and pregnant , requiring stabilization .
Research has also backed up these anecdotal cases .
A 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine found , conversely , higher patient satisfaction was associated with the both greater drug spending and increased mortality .
Among the American political class , there are also tales of treatments gone awry .
Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt lost her life to a rare form of tuberculosis , which some argue could have been caught if a more aggressive ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic , where the institution ’ s academic esteem attracts royalty and political luminaries from around the world , set out principles to care for VIP ’ s .
The first one is “ don ’ t bend the rules ” of clinical practice .
“ In other words , suspending usual practice when caring for a VIP patient can imperil the patient , ” wrote the group of physicians .
Cleveland Clinic doctors continued : “ Usually , the VIP is relieved if the physician states explicitly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you as I would any other patient .
’ ”

Here is a statement taken for granted: Donald Trump will have the best care available for his diagnosis of Covid-19. In a literal sense that is true – he will have an attentive, round-the-clock medical team. This is essential for any ill president.
But in medicine there are many cautionary tales of “VIP syndrome” – the special treatment given by doctors to the wealthy, famous, powerful or politically connected and how that does not always lead to the best medical outcomes.
“In the case of President Trump … you can see the countertransference,” said Dr Andrés Martin, a professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine’s child study center, referring to the feelings a doctor might have toward a patient. “If I screw up, or if I piss him off, is he going to treat me like Biden?”
Trump’s medical team will face a veritable minefield as they attempt to form an alliance with the commander-in-chief, a notoriously demanding, publicity-conscious patient who views disease as personal weakness, and diet and exercise with suspicion.
“All physicians are also humans,” said Dr Shoa Clarke, a preventive cardiologist at Stanford University who has written about VIP patients, called “red blanket” patients in some hospitals. “We’re influenced by our own biases, conscious or subconscious, and we can be influenced by the people we see when we’re trying to take care of them.
“That certainly applies when dealing with patients who are politicians,” Clarke added.
Trump announced he was Covid-19 positive early on Friday morning. He was transferred to Walter Reed national military medical center the same day, a move White House physician Dr Sean Conley later said, was out of “an abundance of caution”.
Dr Sean Conley said President Trump was transferred to Walter Reed national military medical center on Friday out of ‘an abundance of caution’. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Sowing confusion, the president’s condition was later described in more serious terms, even as he recorded videos and rode in a much criticized motorcade to greet supporters. The president has now left the hospital to be treated at the White House medical unit, likened to a “mini-urgent care”.
In a video shot moments after his return, Trump addressed the American people as if he had already beat the disease. “Don’t let it dominate you,” he said, not wearing a mask, despite almost certainly still being infectious. “Don’t be afraid of it, you’re going to beat it, we have the best medical equipment, we have the best medicine.”
Trump has certainly had the most advanced medicine. He was treated with at least three drugs – an experimental monoclonal antibody from Regeneron, antiviral remdesivir and steroid dexamethasone – which are usually reserved for patients with “severe” Covid-19 or a “life-threatening” condition.
Average Americans will not have access to Regeneron’s antibody cocktail, and certainly not at the dose Trump took, which was three times greater than what is being studied. Regeneron’s chief scientific officer, George Yancopoulos, acknowledged this special treatment.
“If I had to treat one patient, I’d give the high dose,” Yancopoulos said, according to Science magazine. “From a societal point of view and the need to treat as many people as possible, I’d give the lower dose.”
Remdesivir has been in short supply for months. It only became available for hospitals to buy from the distributor, rather than the US government, the same day Trump is believed to have received his first positive Covid-19 test. Dexamethasone is normally reserved only for severely ill patients.
All of this special treatment underlines the inequality in America’s medical system – regular people have to jump through bureaucratic hoops and pay exorbitant prices for healthcare. But special treatment is not necessarily healthy for the patient it is bestowed on either.
“You over-treat or you under-treat, but rarely do you treat as a usual patient,” who is a VIP, said Martin. “Why is he leaving now? Well, they’re under-treating him. Why did he get [monoclonal antibody] plasma and steroids? Because they’re over-treating him. It’s certainly not treatment as usual.”
This paradox, that treating the privilege can leave the privileged worse off or lead to medical missteps, can be traced far back into our history, according to Dr Walter Weintraub, the venerated University of Maryland psychiatry professor who coined the term “VIP syndrome” in 1964.
‘We’re influenced by our own biases, conscious or subconscious, and we can be influenced by the people we see when we’re trying to take care of them,’ said Dr Shoa Clarke. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
“The well-known cases of King George III of England and King Ludwig II of Bavaria can clearly demonstrate that the treatment of an influential man can be extremely hazardous for both patient and doctor,” he wrote in that seminal paper referring to two famously mentally unbalanced European monarchs.
The term has also been referenced following the deaths of many celebrities, including everyone from Michael Jackson to Prince to legendary comedian Joan Rivers. VIP syndrome can lead doctors to be starstruck, attempt to be too thorough or too hands off, or hope to please the prominent person.
In an academic paper, Martin gave one example of the treatment of a prominent person’s 14-year-old daughter. A thorough joint psychiatry appointment with her parents led to a diagnosis of depression and “psychogenic vomiting”. But before her third psychiatry appointment, she went to the emergency room. Once there, staff discovered she was both positive for cocaine and pregnant, requiring stabilization.
Research has also backed up these anecdotal cases. A 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine found, conversely, higher patient satisfaction was associated with the both greater drug spending and increased mortality.
Among the American political class, there are also tales of treatments gone awry. Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt lost her life to a rare form of tuberculosis, which some argue could have been caught if a more aggressive (and painful) bone marrow biopsy were performed.
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, where the institution’s academic esteem attracts royalty and political luminaries from around the world, set out principles to care for VIP’s. The first one is “don’t bend the rules” of clinical practice.
“In other words, suspending usual practice when caring for a VIP patient can imperil the patient,” wrote the group of physicians. Cleveland Clinic doctors continued: “Usually, the VIP is relieved if the physician states explicitly, ‘I am going to treat you as I would any other patient.’”


theguardian--2020-10-08--Donald Trump says catching Covid-19 was 'like a blessing from God' – video

Donald Trump has described getting Covid-19 as ‘ a blessing in disguise ’ in a video delivered outside the Oval @ @ @ @ @ three-night stay at Walter Reed medical center , referring to the treatment he received as @ @ @ @ @ to make it available to all Americans .
‘ I want to get for you @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m going to make it free .
You ’ re not going to @ @ @ @ @ he said .
‘ It wasn ’ t your fault that this happened .
It @ @ @ @ @ .
And China is going to pay a big price – what they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ China is going to pay a big price.
’ Covid-19 has killed more than 210,000 @ @ @ @ @ million people worldwide in 10 months

Donald Trump has described getting Covid-19 as 'a blessing in disguise' in a video delivered outside the Oval Office. Trump described his three-night stay at Walter Reed medical center, referring to the treatment he received as a cure, and promising to make it available to all Americans. 'I want to get for you, what I got and I'm going to make it free. You're not going to pay for it,' he said. 'It wasn't your fault that this happened. It was China's fault. And China is going to pay a big price – what they've done to this country. China is going to pay a big price.' Covid-19 has killed more than 210,000 Americans and over a 1 million people worldwide in 10 months


theguardian--2020-10-07--CNN reporter fends off White House raccoon before live cross – video

CNN reporter Joe Johns was forced to fend off a raccoon on the White House lawn , moments before going @ @ @ @ @ ' raccoons , man .
God , again ! ''
he said .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ Jesus ...
It always comes around right around when I ’ m about to go @ @ @ @ @ incident comes after reports of increasing belligerent raccoons on the property by other media outlets

CNN reporter Joe Johns was forced to fend off a raccoon on the White House lawn, moments before going to air. “Frickin' raccoons, man. God, again!" he said. "This is the second time! Jesus ... It always comes around right around when I’m about to go on TV." The incident comes after reports of increasing belligerent raccoons on the property by other media outlets


theguardian--2020-10-08--Donald Trump says he will not join proposed virtual debate with Joe Biden

Donald Trump has refused to participate in next week ’ s debate with Joe Biden after it was announced the event would be held virtually due to the president ’ s coronavirus diagnosis .
The Commission on Presidential Debates ( CPD ) had said in a statement : “ In order to protect the health and safety of all , the second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting , in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations.
” Shortly afterwards , Trump appeared in a phone interview on Fox Business , saying : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while ago changed the debate style .
That ’ s not acceptable to us .
I ’ m not going to do a virtual debate .
I ’ m not gon na waste my time on a virtual debate , that ’ s not what debating is all about .
You sit behind a computer and do it , debates ?
Ridiculous .
And then they cut you off whenever they want.
” Trump appeared to claim that the CPD had made the announcement without first informing his campaign .
An official statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump won the first debate despite a terrible and biased moderator in Chris Wallace , and everybody knows it .
For the swamp creatures at the Presidential Debate Commission to now rush to Joe Biden ’ s defence by unilaterally cancelling an in-person debate is pathetic .
That ’ s not what debates are about or how they ’ re done.
” The statement went on to claim that Trump would test negative for Covid ahead of the event , and that they would plan to hold a rally instead of taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s plan , the audience and the moderator , C-Span ’ s Steve Scully , would still be located in the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami , Florida , as planned .
The televised debate is scheduled for 15 October .
The revised format would have removed any issues around how distant the two candidates should be from each other , or whether screens should be put up between them .
This became a source of contentionbefore the Mike Pence and Kamala Harris vice-presidential debate on Wednesday night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going ahead with them both seated and at least 12 feet from each other , with screens between them .
There was no word on whether Scully would be equipped with a mute button .
The first debate between the president and Joe Biden was widely criticised for the number of times Trump was allowed to interrupt the former vice-president .
Both campaigns would have to agree to any rule changes .
Eric Trump , the president ’ s son , raised objections to the proposed format change , returning to a common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden had been using assistance .
After the first debate , the Trump campaign ran Facebook ads falsely claiming that Biden used an earpiece .
There is precedent for a US election to feature a virtual debate .
In 1960 , John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon debated remotely , with Nixon in Los Angeles , and Kennedy in New York .

Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that relatives of fallen soldiers could have given him coronavirus after they visited the White House – as the timetable for the remaining two presidential debates between Trump and Biden was thrown into turmoil.
In a phone interview with the Fox Business TV channel on Thursday morning, Trump complained about coming into close contact with the veterans’ families in a gathering one day after an event at the White House where Trump nominated a new supreme court justice. Many senior figures in attendance at that event later tested positive for Covid-19.
Of the Gold Star families event at the White House on Sunday 27 September, Trump told Fox he “went through, like 35 people” whose family members had died, “and everyone had a different story”, adding: “I can’t back up and say: ‘Give me room. I want room. Give me 12 feet. Stay 12 feet away when you talk,’” he said.
The military family members had “come within an inch of my face, sometimes”, Trump said. “They want to hug me, and they want to kiss me. And they do. And, frankly, I’m not telling them to back up. I’m not doing it.”
He also said he would not agree to debating his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, in a virtual setting, rather than in person, on 15 October, after the commission in charge of presidential debates said it was moving the debate online because of coronavirus concerns. There followed hours of back and forth between the two sides’ election campaigns that remained unresolved on Thursday afternoon.
The White House has not disclosed when Trump contracted coronavirus, which he announced early last Friday via Twitter, adding that his wife, Melania Trump, had tested positive for the disease. He was taken to hospital by helicopter that evening and given pioneering treatments, returning to the White House on Monday.
The White House has refused to provide details on Trump’s Covid-19 test results in the days leading up the announcement he had tested positive. When he first announced he had coronavirus, speculation swirled around his close aide Hope Hicks, who, it was revealed, had tested positive two days before Trump’s announcement.
But it later emerged that many other White House figures have tested positive in recent days after attending the 26 September event, when they gathered closely in the White House Rose Garden and at indoor receptions, mostly maskless, to witness the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the court vacancy left by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
01:47 Donald Trump says catching Covid-19 was 'like a blessing from God' – video
The press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, the former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, Rthe epublican National Committee chair, Ronna McDaniel, three Republican senators who were at the event, and others have coronavirus. The source of the infections has not been firmly established.
Meanwhile, Trump told Fox: “I’m back because I’m a perfect physical specimen.”
On the Tuesday after the two White House events, Trump and Biden faced off in the first presidential debate. It has not been verified whether Trump was already harboring Covid-19.
On Thursday morning after the vice-presidential debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) said that the next presidential debate, due on 15 October, would be a virtual affair, with the candidates appearing remotely.
In a statement, the CPD said: “In order to protect the health and safety of all, the second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations.”
Shortly afterwards, Trump spoke in a pre-arranged phone interview on the Fox Business TV channel, saying: “I heard that the commission a little while ago changed the debate style. That’s not acceptable to us. I’m not going to do a virtual debate. I’m not gonna waste my time on a virtual debate, that’s not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do it, debates? Ridiculous. And then they cut you off whenever they want.”
Trump appeared to claim that the CPD had made the announcement without first informing his campaign.
An official statement from the Trump campaign said: “President Trump won the first debate despite a terrible and biased moderator in Chris Wallace, and everybody knows it. For the swamp creatures at the Presidential Debate Commission to now rush to Joe Biden’s defence by unilaterally cancelling an in-person debate is pathetic. That’s not what debates are about or how they’re done.”
The statement went on to claim that Trump would test negative for Covid ahead of the event, and that they would plan to hold a rally instead of taking part.
Biden said he would be willing to debate virtually, then later in the morning suggested the debate be postponed until 22 October, by which time it was hoped that Trump could safely debate in person.
Soon after, the Trump election campaign also recommended pushing the program back to 22 October, followed by the final one on 29 October, less than a week before the 3 November election.
But Biden refused that suggestion. Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager and communications director, said in a statement: “Donald Trump doesn’t make the debate schedule; the Debate Commission does. We accepted the three dates – Sept. 29, Oct. 15, and Oct. 22 – in June. Trump chose today to pull out of the October 15th debate. Trump’s erratic behavior does not allow him to rewrite the calendar, and pick new dates of his choosing.”
The two campaigns now await final decisions from the CPD.


theguardian--2020-10-08--I was caught in New York's election error. That's no cause for alarm

On Tuesday , I filled out my second ballot in the 2020 presidential election and in the coming days , up to 100,000 New Yorkers will be joining me .
No , this is not a large-scale incident of voter fraud .
It was the result of a vendor error which saw ballots sent to the wrong people last week .
The issue panicked New Yorkers worried about whether their vote would count and provided ammo for Donald Trump ’ s ongoing fight against mail-in voting .
“ Big Fraud , Unfixable !
” the president said .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing a lesson on the role of human error in elections and how that can be addressed .
And this year , with an unprecedented number of Americans voting by mail , and Congress leaving the election severely underfunded , differentiating between election hiccups and chaos is crucial .
Perry Grossman , voting rights project attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union ( NYCLU ) , put it bluntly .
“ Vendor errors happen , ” Grossman said .
“ We ’ re 30 , 40 days out from the election now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this fixed .
My preference would be everybody should fucking relax.
” Grossman said he could spend hours explaining how to improve elections in New York , but the issue at hand was identified and resolved promptly thanks to a set of existing quality controls .
Roughly 24 hours after the issue was made public , the city announced it would be sending out new ballot packages which would supersede the original ballots if both were sent in .
In New York , absentee voters can also vote in person as late as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the only one that is counted even if they have already mailed in a ballot .
“ If you have to or just want to vote by mail , don ’ t worry , you ’ re going to get a new ballot package , feel confident that if you fill it out , return it early , you ’ re going to be a-OK , ” Grossman said .
But no matter how many safeguards are in place , it is a charged election year and Brooklyn resident Ryan Grubbs was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his partner received the wrong ballots .
On Tuesday , they also received new ballots .
“ I ’ m glad that the BOE [ board of elections ] resolved this issue relatively quickly , but I ’ m still debating whether I will vote using this new absentee ballot , or go in during the early voting period , ” Grubbs said in an email .
“ I am happy , though , that it looks like my vote will get counted correctly either way.
” I had also started dreaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am anxious about the virus , and like the idea of my ballot being on its way a month before the election .
I also want to trust in the vote by mail process because , like the president , it ’ s how I have voted for most of the past decade .
While I have not voted by mail as many times as the White House press secretary , Kayleigh McEnany , who did so 10 times in 11 years , I have done it more often than not because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a totally normal thing to do : California .
In 1988 , 14 % of California voters cast mail-in ballots .
By the state ’ s 2018 general election , more than 65 % of votes were mailed in or dropped off .
It is not perfect , but it is normalized .
Unfortunately , it is also unusual for voting to be this easy in the US .
In other parts of the country , politicians are closing ballot drop-off sites , bar absentee voters from changing their mind , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters qualify for an absentee ballot because they are afraid of Covid-19 .
Myrna Pérez , a voting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice , said there would be some bumps in the road this year because of how many states had to scale up to mail-in voting , fast and without much support from the government .
In September , North Carolina election officials said up to 500 voters accidentally received two ballots after officials tried to correct an error in which they mislabeled ballots .
This week in New Jersey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused nearly 7,000 voters to receive ballots labeled with the wrong congressional district .
“ What we do need to remember is mistakes happen , ” Pérez said .
“ The sooner we find them , the sooner we can fix them .
What I think is a big learning moment is as a country we underfund our elections in even the best circumstances.
” Some politicians are trying to make voting more difficult and Pérez said it is essential for citizens to do what they could to ensure they , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This can include volunteering to babysit , letting someone panicked about missing work cut in the voting line or even just asking friends if they have received their mail-in ballots .
“ This is unfortunately a time when Americans are going to have to step into the breach because our politicians didn ’ t do enough to set up for success , ” Pérez said .

On Tuesday, I filled out my second ballot in the 2020 presidential election, and in the coming days, up to 100,000 New Yorkers will be joining me.
No, this is not a large-scale incident of voter fraud. It was the result of a vendor error which saw ballots sent to the wrong people last week. The issue panicked New Yorkers worried about whether their vote would count, and provided ammunition for Donald Trump’s fight against mail-in voting.
“Big Fraud, Unfixable!” the president said.
But the unfixable incident has apparently been fixed, providing a lesson on the role of human error in elections and how that can be addressed. And this year, with an unprecedented number of Americans voting by mail, and Congress leaving the election severely underfunded, differentiating between election hiccups and chaos is crucial.
Perry Grossman, voting rights project attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), put it bluntly. “Vendor errors happen,” Grossman said. “We’re 30, 40 days out from the election now. There’s time to get this fixed. My preference would be: everybody should fucking relax.”
Grossman said he could spend hours explaining how to improve elections in New York, but the issue at hand was identified and resolved promptly, thanks to a set of existing quality controls.
Roughly 24 hours after the issue was made public, the city announced it would be sending out new ballot packages that would supersede the original ballots if both were sent in. In New York, absentee voters can also vote in person as late as election day. The in-person vote will be the only one that is counted even if they have already mailed in a ballot.
“If you have to or just want to vote by mail, don’t worry, you’re going to get a new ballot package, feel confident that if you fill it out, return it early, you’re going to be A-OK,” Grossman said.
Two absentee ballot envelopes, one warning letter from the BOE and an unusable return envelope and ballot envelope addressed to someone else Photograph: Amanda Holpuch
But no matter how many safeguards are in place, it is a charged election year, and Brooklyn resident Ryan Grubbs was undecided about how to vote after he and his partner received the wrong ballots. On Tuesday, they also received new ballots.
“I’m glad that the BoE [board of elections] resolved this issue relatively quickly, but I’m still debating whether I will vote using this new absentee ballot, or go in during the early voting period,” Grubbs said in an email. “I am happy, though, that it looks like my vote will get counted correctly either way.”
I had also started dreaming up a new voting plan. But I am anxious about the virus, and like the idea of my ballot being on its way a month before the election. I also want to trust in the vote-by-mail process because, like the president, it’s how I have voted for most of the past decade.
While I have not voted by mail as many times as the White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, who did so 10 times in 11 years, I have done it more often than not because I grew up in a state where it is a totally normal thing to do: California.
In 1988, 14% of California voters cast mail-in ballots. By the state’s 2018 general election, more than 65% of votes were mailed in or dropped off. It is not perfect, but it is normalized. Unfortunately, it is also unusual for voting to be this easy in the US.
In other parts of the country, politicians are closing ballot drop-off sites, barring absentee voters from changing their mind, and are involved in legal battles about whether voters qualify for an absentee ballot because they are afraid of Covid-19.
Myrna Pérez, a voting expert at the Brennan Center for Justice, said there would be some bumps in the road this year because of how many states had to scale up to mail-in voting, fast and without much support from the government.
What we do need to remember is mistakes happen. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can fix them Myrna Pérez
In September, North Carolina election officials said up to 500 voters accidentally received two ballots after officials tried to correct an error in which they mislabeled ballots. This week in New Jersey, election officials said a vendor error caused nearly 7,000 voters to receive ballots labeled with the wrong congressional district.
“What we do need to remember is mistakes happen,” Pérez said. “The sooner we find them, the sooner we can fix them. What I think is a big learning moment is as a country we underfund our elections in even the best circumstances.”
Some politicians are trying to make voting more difficult and Pérez said it was essential for citizens to do what they could to ensure they, and the people around them, could vote. This can include volunteering to babysit, letting someone panicked about missing work cut in the voting line or even just asking friends if they have received their mail-in ballots.
“This is unfortunately a time when Americans are going to have to step into the breach because our politicians didn’t do enough to set up for success,” Pérez said.


theguardian--2020-10-08--Looks speak louder than words as Harris makes quotable case against Pence

It was always going to be about the two faces of America .
One : white , male , midwestern , evangelical Christian .
The other : Black , female , coastal , progressive .
What wasn ’ t so predictable about the face-to-face at Wednesday ’ s US vice-presidential debate was that Mike Pence would show up with bloodshot eye – never a good look during a pandemic – or that a fly would nestle in his snowy white hair .
Equally striking was Kamala Harris ’ s ability to weaponise facial expressions .
The California senator ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and withering stares at her opponent will live in Democrats ’ memory long after the words are forgotten ( and probably be viewed by Republicans as sneering elitism ) .
It was also notable that both candidates did a better job than their bosses in last week ’ s debate apocalypse .
Both were adept at sidestepping questions – such as whether they had discussed “ the issue of presidential disability ” with their septuagenarian running mates – in favour of talking points .
At times , it almost felt like a brief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have been a sneak preview of the 2024 election .
Harris was on her game and looked ready to take over from Trump ’ s Democratic presidential challenger , Joe Biden .
Pence , the current vice-president , used attack lines on taxes , the Green New Deal and the supreme court that Trump failed to land against Biden last week .
It was hardly a surprise that Pence reeked of white male privilege ; it was less anticipated that the target was the moderator , Susan Page of USA Today , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect for her questions , rules or timekeeping , he just kept talking and often called her “ Susan ” .
Struggling to gain control , she pleaded : “ I did not create the rules for tonight ...
I ’ m here to enforce them.
” So with that , Republicans may have lost more suburban women voters , if that is even possible .
But the bottom line is that this VP debate won ’ t change the race .
It took place in Salt Lake City , Utah , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a metaphor if ever there was one for America ’ s divisions and self-affirming bubbles .
Pence wore a dark suit , white shirt and Trumpian red tie ; Harris sported a black jacket , dark blouse and necklace ; both wore Stars and Stripes badges .
The former prosecutor made her case to the jury with a bald statement about the coronavirus pandemic that would prove impossible to top : “ The American people have witnessed the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country.
” She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration has forfeited their right to re-election based on this ” .
Pence had the unenviable task of defending the indefensible .
“ From the very first day , President Donald Trump has put the health of America first , ” he claimed unconvincingly , during a pandemic that has claimed more than 210,000 American lives and infected more than 7 million people .
Harris pulled another of her scathing lawyerly expressions .
Pence , head of the White House coronavirus taskforce , went on to offer a highly disingenuous defence that bore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ When you say what the American people have done over these last eight months hasn ’ t worked , that ’ s a great disservice to the sacrifices of the American people.
” Pence also claimed that the Biden-Harris plan for dealing with Covid-19 looks awfully similar to what the Trump administration is already doing .
“ It looks a bit like plagiarism , which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about.
” It was a reference to Biden failing to credit the British Labour leader Neil Kinnock in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shook her head wryly .
Yet twice in the debate Pence used the line , “ You ’ re entitled to your opinion but you ’ re not entitled to your own facts , ” without crediting the man who coined it , the late Democratic senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan .
“ Good line , ” said Harris sarcastically .
It was a bold line of attack for a campaign and administration that has been caught in thousands of lies or misleading claims .
Would Harris take a Covid-19 vaccine if it became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professionals , if Dr Fauci , if the doctors tell us that we should take it I ’ ll be the first in line to take it , ” she said .
“ Absolutely .
But if Donald Trump tells us that we should take it I ’ m not taking it.
” Pence demanded : “ Senator , I just ask you , stop playing politics with people ’ s lives .
The reality is that we will have a vaccine , we believe , before the end of this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ save countless American lives .
And your continuous undermining of confidence in a vaccine is just unacceptable.
” Later , she delivered a memorable warning about the Trump administration ’ s concerted efforts to undo Barack Obama ’ s signature healthcare law .
“ If you have a pre-existing condition – heart disease , diabetes , breast cancer – they ’ re coming for you .
If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition , they ’ re coming for you .
If you are under the age of 26 on your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming for you.
” It was perhaps the most quotable riff of a night that was more courteous than the horror show in Cleveland last week .
When Trump interrupted like a jackhammer , Biden eventually snapped : “ Will you shut up , man ?
” Harris had a more elegant rebuke prepared : “ Mr Vice-President , I ’ m speaking.
” She deployed it a few times but , on one occasion , during a tangle over Biden ’ s tax policy , Pence nipped in : “ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth.
” Harris smiled and paused , fatally , allowing the vice-president to seize the initiative and state : “ Joe Biden said twice in the debate last week that he ’ s going to repeal the Trump tax cuts.
” The debate moved on , unlikely to change many minds .
Perhaps tellingly , Pence was denying the existence of systemic racism when the fly spent two minutes on his head .
The lie will be forgotten by Thursday afternoon .
The fly will not .
It evoked comparisons with the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Norman Bates , channeling his mother , spots a fly and says : “ Why , she wouldn ’ t even harm a fly … ” At the end , Pence ’ s wife , Karen , joined him on stage and was not wearing a face mask .
Pence reportedly calls her “ mother ” .

It was always going to be about the two faces of America.
One: white, male, midwestern, evangelical Christian. The other: Black, female, coastal, progressive.
What wasn’t so predictable about the face-to-face at Wednesday’s US vice-presidential debate was that Mike Pence would show up with bloodshot eye – never a good look during a pandemic – or that a fly would nestle in his snowy white hair.
Equally striking was Kamala Harris’s ability to weaponise facial expressions. The California senator’s fusillade of raised eyebrows, pursed lips and withering stares at her opponent will live in Democrats’ memory long after the words are forgotten (and probably be viewed by Republicans as sneering elitism).
It was also notable that both candidates did a better job than their bosses in last week’s debate apocalypse. Both were adept at sidestepping questions – such as whether they had discussed “the issue of presidential disability” with their septuagenarian running mates – in favour of talking points. At times, it almost felt like a brief holiday in political normality.
This may also have been a sneak preview of the 2024 election. Harris was on her game and looked ready to take over from Trump’s Democratic presidential challenger, Joe Biden. Pence, the current vice-president, used attack lines on taxes, the Green New Deal and the supreme court that Trump failed to land against Biden last week.
06:51 Mike Pence and Kamala Harris spar on Covid, race and climate in VP debate – video highlights
It was hardly a surprise that Pence reeked of white male privilege; it was less anticipated that the target was the moderator, Susan Page of USA Today, as much as Harris. Showing no respect for her questions, rules or timekeeping, he just kept talking and often called her “Susan”.
Struggling to gain control, she pleaded: “I did not create the rules for tonight ... I’m here to enforce them.”
So with that, Republicans may have lost more suburban women voters, if that is even possible. But the bottom line is that this VP debate won’t change the race.
It took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the candidates separated by two Perspex screens, a metaphor if ever there was one for America’s divisions and self-affirming bubbles.
Pence wore a dark suit, white shirt and Trumpian red tie; Harris sported a black jacket, dark blouse and necklace; both wore Stars and Stripes badges.
The former prosecutor made her case to the jury with a bald statement about the coronavirus pandemic that would prove impossible to top: “The American people have witnessed the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country.”
She added for good measure that “this administration has forfeited their right to re-election based on this”.
Pence had the unenviable task of defending the indefensible. “From the very first day, President Donald Trump has put the health of America first,” he claimed unconvincingly, during a pandemic that has claimed more than 210,000 American lives and infected more than 7 million people. Harris pulled another of her scathing lawyerly expressions.
Pence, head of the White House coronavirus taskforce, went on to offer a highly disingenuous defence that bore little relation to Harris’s critique: “When you say what the American people have done over these last eight months hasn’t worked, that’s a great disservice to the sacrifices of the American people.”
Pence also claimed that the Biden-Harris plan for dealing with Covid-19 looks awfully similar to what the Trump administration is already doing. “It looks a bit like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about.”
It was a reference to Biden failing to credit the British Labour leader Neil Kinnock in a speech 33 years ago. Harris shook her head wryly.
Mike Pence receives a kiss from a maskless Karen Pence, AKA ‘Mother’. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Yet twice in the debate Pence used the line, “You’re entitled to your opinion but you’re not entitled to your own facts,” without crediting the man who coined it, the late Democratic senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. “Good line,” said Harris sarcastically.
It was a bold line of attack for a campaign and administration that has been caught in thousands of lies or misleading claims. Would Harris take a Covid-19 vaccine if it became available? “If the public health professionals, if Dr Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it I’ll be the first in line to take it,” she said. “Absolutely. But if Donald Trump tells us that we should take it I’m not taking it.”
Pence demanded: “Senator, I just ask you, stop playing politics with people’s lives. The reality is that we will have a vaccine, we believe, before the end of this year. And it will have the capacity to save countless American lives. And your continuous undermining of confidence in a vaccine is just unacceptable.”
Harris smiled and shook her head.
Later, she delivered a memorable warning about the Trump administration’s concerted efforts to undo Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law.
“If you have a pre-existing condition – heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer – they’re coming for you. If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, they’re coming for you. If you are under the age of 26 on your parents’ coverage, they’re coming for you.”
It was perhaps the most quotable riff of a night that was more courteous than the horror show in Cleveland last week.
When Trump interrupted like a jackhammer, Biden eventually snapped: “Will you shut up, man?” Harris had a more elegant rebuke prepared: “Mr Vice-President, I’m speaking.”
06:22 Biden and Trump trade insults in frenzied presidential debate – video highlights
She deployed it a few times but, on one occasion, during a tangle over Biden’s tax policy, Pence nipped in: “It’d be important if you said the truth.”
Harris smiled and paused, fatally, allowing the vice-president to seize the initiative and state: “Joe Biden said twice in the debate last week that he’s going to repeal the Trump tax cuts.”
The debate moved on, unlikely to change many minds. Perhaps tellingly, Pence was denying the existence of systemic racism when the fly spent two minutes on his head.
The lie will be forgotten by Thursday afternoon. The fly will not. It evoked comparisons with the end of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho in which Norman Bates, channeling his mother, spots a fly and says: “Why, she wouldn’t even harm a fly …”
At the end, Pence’s wife, Karen, joined him on stage and was not wearing a face mask. Pence reportedly calls her “mother”.


theguardian--2020-10-08--Vice presidents clash over coronavirus response and healthcare – as it happened

The Trump campaign ’ s first reaction to the debate : “ Vice President Mike Pence made clear tonight that President Trump is the clear choice to continue to rebuild the American economy.
” The rest of the statement is riddled with false and misleading claims .
The campaign ’ s Marc Short said Pence “ exposed Joe Biden ’ s plan to raise taxes by $ 4 trillion , strangle the economy with Green New Deal regulations , ban fracking , abolish fossil fuels , and kill millions of jobs in the process.
” Biden , in fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only restrict new fracking permits ) and he has not said he will abolish fossil fuels .
And although it ’ s unclear how Biden ’ s climate plan ( which my colleague Emily Holden has reviewed here ) , he has largely angled it as a job creator .
Short added : “ Senator Harris is the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate and it showed , as she continued to push Joe Biden to the left .
President Trump built the world ’ s best economy once and is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website GovTrack ranked Harris the most liberal senator in 2019 , but that ’ s based on the bills and resolutions she sponsored .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are arguably progressive in their ideology - and Sanders was ranked more liberal than Harris by Govtrack in previous years .

8 Oct 2020 05.33 BST Tonight's takeaways Both candidates dodged questions. Pence, who is known for his evasiveness – and has even earned praise from Trump for his ability to avoid answers to journalists direct questions – often changed the topic set by moderator Susan Page. He did not to explain the administration’s decision to hold an event at the Rose Garden with unmasked guests, shortly before an outbreak of coronavirus at White House. He didn’t say what he’d do if Republicans lose the presidential election, and Trump refuses to accept the results. Asked about healthcare protections for people with preexisting conditions, Pence pivoted to a discussion of abortion and then demanded that Harris respond to whether she and Biden support packing the supreme court. Harris avoided answering the latter and avoided addressing what she and Biden would do if Trump contests election results.
Pence, who is known for his evasiveness – and has even earned praise from Trump for his ability to avoid answers to journalists direct questions – often changed the topic set by moderator Susan Page. He did not to explain the administration’s decision to hold an event at the Rose Garden with unmasked guests, shortly before an outbreak of coronavirus at White House. He didn’t say what he’d do if Republicans lose the presidential election, and Trump refuses to accept the results. Asked about healthcare protections for people with preexisting conditions, Pence pivoted to a discussion of abortion and then demanded that Harris respond to whether she and Biden support packing the supreme court. Harris avoided answering the latter and avoided addressing what she and Biden would do if Trump contests election results. Harris condemned the administration’s coronavirus response, as expected. With the president recovering Covid-19 and the coronavirus death toll ticking past 200,000 – Harris was expected to excoriate Pence’s record as the head of the White House coronavirus task force. And she delivered. The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said. “This administration has forfeited their right to re-election.”
With the president recovering Covid-19 and the coronavirus death toll ticking past 200,000 – Harris was expected to excoriate Pence’s record as the head of the White House coronavirus task force. And she delivered. The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said. “This administration has forfeited their right to re-election.” Moderator Susan Page was often unable to rein in Pence, who barreled over her pleas that he respect the time limits. “I did not create the rules for tonight,” she said at one point, after Pence talked over her. “I’m here to enforce them.” Harris also pushed back when the vice-president interrupted. “Mr Vice-president, I’m speaking. I’m speaking,” she said firmly and continued to make her point about Trump’s tax cuts.
“I did not create the rules for tonight,” she said at one point, after Pence talked over her. “I’m here to enforce them.” Harris also pushed back when the vice-president interrupted. “Mr Vice-president, I’m speaking. I’m speaking,” she said firmly and continued to make her point about Trump’s tax cuts. One of Harris’ strongest moments was when she addressed the Trump administrations efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “If you have a pre-existing condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you.” she said. “If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, they’re coming for you.” Pre-existing conditions are currently protected by the ACA.
“If you have a pre-existing condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you.” she said. “If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, they’re coming for you.” Pre-existing conditions are currently protected by the ACA. Pence proved himself to be a loyal soldier for the president. In calm, measured tones that contrasted sharply with Trump’s approach to the presidential debate, Pence nonetheless repeated many of the same lines as Trump: touting the president’s travel restrictions, bragging about – and exaggerating – economic gains, and painting moderates Biden and Harris as lefty progressives who want to ban fracking. (Much to the dismay of lefty progressives, they don’t.)
In calm, measured tones that contrasted sharply with Trump’s approach to the presidential debate, Pence nonetheless repeated many of the same lines as Trump: touting the president’s travel restrictions, bragging about – and exaggerating – economic gains, and painting moderates Biden and Harris as lefty progressives who want to ban fracking. (Much to the dismay of lefty progressives, they don’t.) A fly landed on Pence’s head and stayed there for two minutes. Jokes and memes abounded. That’s all from me, tonight. Read a full recap of the debate here: Kamala Harris and Mike Pence clash over coronavirus response in vice-presidential debate Read more
Updated at 05.43 BST
8 Oct 2020 05.10 BST It’s unclear how much tonight’s debate will sway voters, many of whom have already cast their ballots. At least 5.6 million people have already voted in states where early voting has begun. Elections officials in Texas collect mail-in ballots. Photograph: Bob Daemmrich/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock Ahead of the debate, polls showed Harris was the only candidate at the top oof the ticket with a net-positive favorability rating – on average in national polls, more Americans new her positively than negatively. Pence’s favorability is lagging – an average of 48% view him unfavorably, and 43% favorably per an average from Real Clear Politics.
8 Oct 2020 04.52 BST Here’s the reaction from Pete Buttigieg, who played fellow Indianan Pence during debate prep: So proud of @KamalaHarris tonight.
She powerfully made the case for why we must end the chaos and restore decency by electing Joe Biden.
It was reality vs fantasy on health care, the economy, Covid, racial justice, climate and so much more.
We’re going to win this. — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) October 8, 2020
8 Oct 2020 04.45 BST The Trump campaign’s first reaction to the debate: “Vice President Mike Pence made clear tonight that President Trump is the clear choice to continue to rebuild the American economy.” The rest of the statement is riddled with false and misleading claims. The campaign’s Marc Short said Pence “exposed Joe Biden’s plan to raise taxes by $4 trillion, strangle the economy with Green New Deal regulations, ban fracking, abolish fossil fuels, and kill millions of jobs in the process.” Biden, in fact, does not aim to ban fracking (only restrict new fracking permits) and he has not said he will abolish fossil fuels. And although it’s unclear how Biden’s climate plan (which my colleague Emily Holden has reviewed here), he has largely angled it as a job creator. Short added: “Senator Harris is the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate and it showed, as she continued to push Joe Biden to the left. President Trump built the world’s best economy once and is already doing it a second time.” The website GovTrack ranked Harris the most liberal senator in 2019, but that’s based on the bills and resolutions she sponsored. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are arguably progressive in their ideology - and Sanders was ranked more liberal than Harris by Govtrack in previous years.
8 Oct 2020 04.21 BST On climate change, I wanted to quickly circle back to something Pence said: That there were no more hurricanes than there were 100 years ago. The vice president made this point as evidence that Democrats were exaggerating the impacts of climate change – and it was a bit misleading. My colleague Oliver Milman addressed this during last year’s hurricane season: While the overall number of hurricanes has remained roughly the same in recent decades, there is evidence they are intensifying more quickly, resulting in a greater number of the most severe category four and five storms. The proportion of tropical storms that rapidly strengthen into powerful hurricanes has tripled over the past 30 years, according to recent research. A swift increase in pace over a 24-hour period makes hurricanes less predictable, despite improving hurricane forecasting systems, and more likely to cause widespread damage. The devastation unleashed by recent hurricanes has led to warnings that premiums may rise as insurers face ballooning claims. A record $135bn was paid out by insurers in North America in 2017, mostly as a result of hurricane damages. “We have a new normal,” says Ernst Rauch, a senior executive at insurance company Munich Re. “We must have on our radar the trend of new magnitudes.” Are hurricanes getting stronger – and is climate breakdown to blame? Read more
8 Oct 2020 04.17 BST Pence – in contrast to Donald Trump – delivered his message in a calm, measured tone. But he repeated many of the false claims made by the president. Most notably, he misconstrued and overplayed the impact of travel restrictions on the US’ coronavirus case count, and misleading Americans on the administration’s stance on healthcare protections for people with preexisting protections. In other cases, Pence declined to correct Trump’s record. Asked if Pence would accept the results if Republicans lose the presidential election, Pence dodged. “First and foremost, I think we’re going to win this election,” he said. “When you talk about accepting the outcome of the election, I must tell you, Senator, your party has spent the last three and a half years trying to overturn the results of the last election. It’s amazing.” Harris didn’t directly respond when asked what she and Biden would do if Pence and Trump refused to step aside, Harris urged: “Please vote. Vote early, come up with a plan to vote.”
8 Oct 2020 04.07 BST When discussion turned to the police and the nationwide protests against police brutality, Pence broached Harris’ record as attorney general of California and her prosecutorial record. It’s an issue that often came up during the Democratic primaries, and took on new relevance after the police killing of George Floyd triggered protests across the nation. As the Guardian has reported before, while Harris has sought to present herself as a “progressive prosecutor”, her record is more complicated. Her approach to sex work, police reform, prisoners’ rights and truancy have drawn criticism from activists in her home state. Kamala Harris: can a 'top cop' win over progressives in 2020? Read more Though she initially disregarded calls to investigate a series of police shootings in San Francisco after the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, she did begin to evolve by the end of her tenure as attorney general - and in 2016 suggested some reforms to increase her office’s power to investigate police. But these criticisms are odd coming from Pence – and Trump, who has brought them up before – given the administration’s harsh “law and order” rhetoric.
Updated at 04.11 BST
8 Oct 2020 03.55 BST The fly on Mike Pence’s head seems to be the breakout star of this debate. Both vice-presidential candidates, meanwhile, swatted away direct questions – pivoting to topics they wanted to discuss rather than what was actually asked. The 90 minutes flew by, as the candidates buzzed over the moderator’s pleas to stick to time limits. Sorry ... (not sorry)
Updated at 04.11 BST


theguardian--2020-10-08--Kamala Harris and Mike Pence clash over coronavirus response in vice-presidential debate

Kamala Harris accused the Trump-Pence White House of presiding over the “ greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country ” in its handling of the coronavirus during the first and only vice-presidential debate of the 2020 election .
Vice-president Mike Pence forcefully defended Donald Trump ’ s handling of the crisis that has killed more than 210,000 Americans , as Wednesday night ’ s debate in Salt Lake City unfolded in the shadow of the president ’ s hospitalization for Covid-19 , which has thrown the government into upheaval and upended the presidential race four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of 90 minutes , Harris , the California senator and running mate of Democratic nominee Joe Biden , assailed Trump over his stewardship of the American government , denouncing his administration ’ s response to the various crises affecting the nation , from the racial injustice protests to the wildfires devastating the west coast , as well as his taxes and personal conduct in office .
But she said no failure was as great as the president ’ s mismanagement of the pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout .
Harris charged that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severity of the virus when it first began to spread earlier this year : “ They knew , and they covered it up.
” “ Frankly , this administration has forfeited their right to re-election based on this , ” Harris concluded in her opening comments to Pence , who leads the White House ’ s coronavirus task force .
Pence acknowledged that the nation has gone through a “ very challenging time this year ” as a result of the outbreak , which has infected millions of Americans , including the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I want the American people to know , from the very first day , President Trump has put the health of America first , ” he said .
He insisted , in defiance of the facts , that the president had a clear national strategy for addressing the pandemic .
“ Clearly it hasn ’ t worked , when you ’ re looking at over 210,000 dead bodies in our country , ” Harris retorted .
Distanced 12-feet apart and separated by plexiglass barriers , the coronavirus framed much of the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stage .
The Pence campaign initially objected to a request for a physical barrier , but ultimately agreed .
In the auditorium at the University of Utah , any guest who refused to wear a mask was to be removed .
Against this backdrop , the forum served not only as a preview of two leading presidential contenders in 2024 , but as a grim reminder that the role of vice-president is to succeed the president should he become incapacitated or die while in office .
Trump , 74 , has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions remain about his the severity of his infection .
At 77 , his Biden would be the oldest US president ever to serve in office .
Neither Pence nor Harris directly answered a question about whether they had discussions about taking over the presidency .
Polls show that a majority of Americans have lost faith in Trump ’ s handling of the virus and blame his administration for failing to control it .
Trump , who claimed he had “ learned a lot ” about the virus from his own experience with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , likening it to the flu and urging Americans not to be afraid of it .
Given the uncertainty hanging over future presidential debates due to the president ’ s infection , Pence and Harris were under additional pressure to articulate their campaign messages .
Pence attempted to cast the Biden-Harris ticket as extreme , while Harris accused the administration of attempting to strip Americans of their healthcare and stoking racial division .
After the first presidential debate in Ohio devolved into a chaotic shouting match last week , moderator Susan Page of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” discussion .
Though there were sharp exchanges over issues of racism , climate and health care , there were far fewer personal insults and a much more robust discussion of the issues .
Harris , who is the first Black woman to participate in a vice-presidential debate , was cheered by supporters online when she responded to Pence ’ s repeated interruptions .
“ Mr Vice-president , I ’ m speaking , ” she said , flashing a wide smile .
In a show of civility absent from the first debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants from Jamaica and India , on the “ historic nature of your candidacy .
Asked whether justice had been done in the case of Breonna Taylor , the 26-year-old medical technician who was killed in her Louisville home during a police raid and whose death has sparked nationwide protests , Harris said she did not believe it had after a grand jury declined to bring charges against the officers involved .
Pence disagreed .
Extending his sympathies to her family , he said : “ I trust our justice system , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In an exchange on the climate crisis , Harris said that unlike Trump , Biden “ believes in science ” and defended Biden ’ s economic plan which would create new jobs in the renewable energy industry .
“ We have seen a pattern with this administration which is they don ’ t believe in science , and Joe ’ s plan is about saying we ’ re going to deal with it , but we ’ re also going to create jobs , ” she said .
Conceding that the climate was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was proud of the administration ’ s environmental record .
He said Biden ’ s climate plan was the the Green New Deal by another name , and accused the former vice president of wanting to ban fracking , a particularly sensitive issue in the battleground state of Pennsylvania .
Harris repeated that Biden does not , in fact , intend to ban fracking but Pence refused to concede the point .
In a segment focused on the supreme court nomination of conservative Amy Coney Barrett following the death of celebrated liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris on whether a Biden administration would expand the court as some liberals have suggested .
Harris , like Biden , did not answer the question directly , but argued Republicans had effectively packed the court by refusing to hold a hearing for Barack Obama ’ s supreme court nominee in 2016 because it was a presidential election year , but are now pushing through the president ’ s pick weeks before election day .
“ She never answered the question , ” Pence said .
Both campaigns appeared pleased with their candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WON BIG !
” tweeted Trump , while Biden tweeted : “ Kamala Harris , you made us all proud tonight.
” Yet in a volatile election season already overshadowed by compounding national crises , it appears unlikely this debate will fundamentally reset the contours of a race in which national and battleground state polls show the contest slipping away from the president , and more than five million Americans have already voted early , largely due to the pandemic .
Trump ’ s pronouncements about his health and the news that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Christmas pre-empted the evening ’ s debate .
Next week , the nation ’ s focus will turn to the Senate , which will begin the confirmation hearings for Barrett , and then to a potential presidential debate rematch in Miami between Trump and Biden .
If this debate has little impact on this election , however , it may yet have consequences for the future political ambitions of both candidates on stage in 2024 .

Kamala Harris accused the Trump-Pence White House of presiding over the “greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country” in its handling of the coronavirus during the first and only vice-presidential debate of the 2020 election.
Vice-president Mike Pence forcefully defended Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis that has killed more than 210,000 Americans, as Wednesday night’s debate in Salt Lake City unfolded in the shadow of the president’s hospitalization for Covid-19, which has thrown the government into upheaval and upended the presidential race four weeks before election day.
02:27 Harris calls Trump's coronavirus response 'greatest failure' of any administration – video
Over the course of 90 minutes, Harris, the California senator and running mate of Democratic nominee Joe Biden, assailed Trump over his stewardship of the American government, denouncing his administration’s response to the various crises affecting the nation, from the racial injustice protests to the wildfires devastating the west coast, as well as his taxes and personal conduct in office.
But she said no failure was as great as the president’s mismanagement of the pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout.
Harris charged that the president misled the country about the severity of the virus when it first began to spread earlier this year: “They knew, and they covered it up.”
“Frankly, this administration has forfeited their right to re-election based on this,” Harris concluded in her opening comments to Pence, who leads the White House’s coronavirus task force.
Pence acknowledged that the nation has gone through a “very challenging time this year” as a result of the outbreak, which has infected millions of Americans, including the president and many top White House officials.
“I want the American people to know, from the very first day, President Trump has put the health of America first,” he said. He insisted, in defiance of the facts, that the president had a clear national strategy for addressing the pandemic.
“Clearly it hasn’t worked, when you’re looking at over 210,000 dead bodies in our country,” Harris retorted.
Distanced 12-feet apart and separated by plexiglass barriers, the coronavirus framed much of the debate even before the candidates stepped on to the stage. The Pence campaign initially objected to a request for a physical barrier, but ultimately agreed. In the auditorium at the University of Utah, any guest who refused to wear a mask was to be removed.
01:05 'They're coming for you': Harris slams Trump and Pence on healthcare – video
Against this backdrop, the forum served not only as a preview of two leading presidential contenders in 2024, but as a grim reminder that the role of vice-president is to succeed the president should he become incapacitated or die while in office.
Trump, 74, has said he is “feeling GREAT” though questions remain about his the severity of his infection. At 77, his Biden would be the oldest US president ever to serve in office.
Neither Pence nor Harris directly answered a question about whether they had discussions about taking over the presidency.
Polls show that a majority of Americans have lost faith in Trump’s handling of the virus and blame his administration for failing to control it. Trump, who claimed he had “learned a lot” about the virus from his own experience with it, has since downplayed its severity, likening it to the flu and urging Americans not to be afraid of it.
Given the uncertainty hanging over future presidential debates due to the president’s infection, Pence and Harris were under additional pressure to articulate their campaign messages.
Pence attempted to cast the Biden-Harris ticket as extreme, while Harris accused the administration of attempting to strip Americans of their healthcare and stoking racial division.
00:32 'I'm speaking': Kamala Harris reins in Mike Pence during VP debate – video
After the first presidential debate in Ohio devolved into a chaotic shouting match last week, moderator Susan Page of USA Today pleaded for a “civil” discussion. Though there were sharp exchanges over issues of racism, climate and health care, there were far fewer personal insults and a much more robust discussion of the issues.
Harris, who is the first Black woman to participate in a vice-presidential debate, was cheered by supporters online when she responded to Pence’s repeated interruptions. “Mr Vice-president, I’m speaking,” she said, flashing a wide smile.
In a show of civility absent from the first debate, Pence commended Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, on the “historic nature of your candidacy.
Asked whether justice had been done in the case of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old medical technician who was killed in her Louisville home during a police raid and whose death has sparked nationwide protests, Harris said she did not believe it had after a grand jury declined to bring charges against the officers involved.
Pence disagreed. Extending his sympathies to her family, he said: “I trust our justice system, a grand jury that reviews the evidence.”
In an exchange on the climate crisis, Harris said that unlike Trump, Biden “believes in science” and defended Biden’s economic plan which would create new jobs in the renewable energy industry.
“We have seen a pattern with this administration which is they don’t believe in science, and Joe’s plan is about saying we’re going to deal with it, but we’re also going to create jobs,” she said.
Conceding that the climate was changing, Pence pushed back and said he was proud of the administration’s environmental record. He said Biden’s climate plan was the the Green New Deal by another name, and accused the former vice president of wanting to ban fracking, a particularly sensitive issue in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Harris repeated that Biden does not, in fact, intend to ban fracking but Pence refused to concede the point.
In a segment focused on the supreme court nomination of conservative Amy Coney Barrett following the death of celebrated liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Pence pressed Harris on whether a Biden administration would expand the court as some liberals have suggested.
Harris, like Biden, did not answer the question directly, but argued Republicans had effectively packed the court by refusing to hold a hearing for Barack Obama’s supreme court nominee in 2016 because it was a presidential election year, but are now pushing through the president’s pick weeks before election day.
“She never answered the question,” Pence said.
Both campaigns appeared pleased with their candidate’s performances. “Mike Pence WON BIG!” tweeted Trump, while Biden tweeted: “Kamala Harris, you made us all proud tonight.”
Yet in a volatile election season already overshadowed by compounding national crises, it appears unlikely this debate will fundamentally reset the contours of a race in which national and battleground state polls show the contest slipping away from the president, and more than five million Americans have already voted early, largely due to the pandemic.
Trump’s pronouncements about his health and the news that he would bring American troops home from Afghanistan by Christmas pre-empted the evening’s debate. Next week, the nation’s focus will turn to the Senate, which will begin the confirmation hearings for Barrett, and then to a potential presidential debate rematch in Miami between Trump and Biden.
If this debate has little impact on this election, however, it may yet have consequences for the future political ambitions of both candidates on stage in 2024.


theguardian--2020-10-08--Pence-Harris vice-presidential debate: six key takeaways

The vice-presidential debate on Wednesday was less openly hostile than the Donald Trump-Joe Biden debacle last week – but provided a further insight into the state of both campaigns ahead of November .
Kamala Harris and Mike Pence met in Utah for the only vice-presidential debate of the election , separated by Plexiglass barriers as a protection against coronavirus , and seeking to advance their boss ’ s cases .
As Biden continues to lead Trump in the polls , the pressure was particularly on for Pence to defend the administration ’ s record , just days after the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic to healthcare to the supreme court to a fly , here are the key moments .
As expected , the first question was about coronavirus in a debate dominated by the pandemic .
Pence ’ s staff had insisted the vice-president has tested negative for Covid-19 , but the two Plexiglass barriers placed between Harris and Pence served as a constant reminder of the crisis .
Harris kept her point simple .
She focused on the numbers dead , and the millions of people affected .
“ Here are the facts : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just the last seven months .
Over 7 million who have contracted this disease , ” Harris said .
“ We ’ re looking at over 30 million people who in the last seven months had to file for unemployment.
” Harris pointed out , more than once , that Trump and Pence had known about the severity of coronavirus in January , and that Trump had sought to downplay the virus .
“ The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This administration has forfeited their right to re-election.
” One of the most memorable moments of the night was on healthcare , when Harris issued a stark warning about the Trump administration ’ s intentions .
Trump is seeking to dismantle the Affordable Care Act , commonly known as Obamacare , which prevents health companies turning away patients with pre-existing conditions – and Harris made sure viewers knew it .
“ If you have a pre-existing condition , heart disease , diabetes , breast cancer , they ’ re coming for you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-existing condition , they ’ re coming for you.
” Pence responded by claiming the Trump administration has a plan to protect people with pre-existing conditions .
Trump has spent years claiming he will release a comprehensive healthcare plan .
We ’ re yet to see it .
Donald Trump interrupted Joe Biden 71 times during the first presidential debate .
Pence cut in on Harris a lot less – perhaps because one of his early attempts was witheringly cut down by Harris .
“ Mr Vice-President , I ’ m speaking .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said to Pence , as he tried to chirp in while she discussed Trump ’ s tax cuts .
Delivered with the tone a parent would reserve for a misbehaving child , the moment was widely shared on Twitter .
While the candidates didn ’ t interrupt each other with anything like the frequency of Trump in the presidential debate last week , this wasn ’ t a lesson in debate etiquette .
The phrase : “ Thank you Vice-President Pence ” chimed out over and over again during the entire encounter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Susan Page , sought to stop Pence from taking longer than his allotted time .
It didn ’ t work , and just as the Fox News host Chris Wallace was criticized for his handling of the Trump-Biden debate , the sense was Page could have been stronger in forcing Pence to stick to his time limit .
The debate topics were not released ahead of Wednesday night – but neither candidate was caught out .
Both Harris and Pence were guilty of refusing to answer some of Page ’ s questions – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launching into prepared answers .
Neither candidate answered a question about whether they had discussed potentially stepping in for Trump , 74 , or Biden , 77 , respectively , if they were to fall ill – a question made more pressing by the president ’ s Covid-19 diagnosis last week .
Harris was asked if she and Biden would seek to add seats to the supreme court to increase the number of liberal justices – a move which some Democrats , including former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg have touted – but did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of deaths per capita in the US is worse than the majority of other countries , never came close to answering .
More troublingly , Pence refused to say he would accept the results of the election – Trump did the same in the presidential debate .
During her debate prep Harris and her team were aware of the double standard women in power are subjected to compared with men – including increased scrutiny over how women look .
Instead it was Pence whose appearance raised eyebrows .
Towards the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence ’ s head , where it remained for two minutes .
Around the same time , “ pink eye ” began trending online , as numerous viewers spotted that Pence ’ s left eye had a distinctly pinky-red tone .
Pink eye , or conjunctivitis , can be a symptom of coronavirus .

The vice-presidential debate on Wednesday was less openly hostile than the Donald Trump-Joe Biden debacle last week – but provided a further insight into the state of both campaigns ahead of November.
Kamala Harris and Mike Pence met in Utah for the only vice-presidential debate of the election, separated by Plexiglass barriers as a protection against coronavirus, and seeking to advance their boss’s cases.
As Biden continues to lead Trump in the polls, the pressure was particularly on for Pence to defend the administration’s record, just days after the president tested positive for Covid-19.
From the pandemic to healthcare to the supreme court to a fly, here are the key moments.
1. Harris hammers home criticism over coronavirus response
As expected, the first question was about coronavirus in a debate dominated by the pandemic. Pence’s staff had insisted the vice-president has tested negative for Covid-19, but the two Plexiglass barriers placed between Harris and Pence served as a constant reminder of the crisis.
Harris kept her point simple. She focused on the numbers dead, and the millions of people affected.
02:27 Harris calls Trump's coronavirus response 'greatest failure' of any administration – video
“Here are the facts: 210,000 dead people in our country in just the last seven months. Over 7 million who have contracted this disease,” Harris said.
“We’re looking at over 30 million people who in the last seven months had to file for unemployment.”
Harris pointed out, more than once, that Trump and Pence had known about the severity of coronavirus in January, and that Trump had sought to downplay the virus.
“The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said. “This administration has forfeited their right to re-election.”
2. They’re coming for you
One of the most memorable moments of the night was on healthcare, when Harris issued a stark warning about the Trump administration’s intentions.
Trump is seeking to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, which prevents health companies turning away patients with pre-existing conditions – and Harris made sure viewers knew it.
01:05 'They're coming for you': Harris slams Trump and Pence on healthcare – video
“If you have a pre-existing condition, heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, they’re coming for you. If you love someone who has a pre-existing condition, they’re coming for you.”
Pence responded by claiming the Trump administration has a plan to protect people with pre-existing conditions. Trump has spent years claiming he will release a comprehensive healthcare plan. We’re yet to see it.
3. Harris: ‘I’m speaking’
Donald Trump interrupted Joe Biden 71 times during the first presidential debate.
Pence cut in on Harris a lot less – perhaps because one of his early attempts was witheringly cut down by Harris.
00:32 'I'm speaking': Kamala Harris reins in Mike Pence during VP debate – video
“Mr Vice-President, I’m speaking. I’m speaking,” Harris said to Pence, as he tried to chirp in while she discussed Trump’s tax cuts.
Delivered with the tone a parent would reserve for a misbehaving child, the moment was widely shared on Twitter.
4. Pence eats up time
While the candidates didn’t interrupt each other with anything like the frequency of Trump in the presidential debate last week, this wasn’t a lesson in debate etiquette.
The phrase: “Thank you Vice-President Pence” chimed out over and over again during the entire encounter, as the moderator from USA Today, Susan Page, sought to stop Pence from taking longer than his allotted time.
It didn’t work, and just as the Fox News host Chris Wallace was criticized for his handling of the Trump-Biden debate, the sense was Page could have been stronger in forcing Pence to stick to his time limit.
The debate topics were not released ahead of Wednesday night – but neither candidate was caught out.
Both Harris and Pence were guilty of refusing to answer some of Page’s questions – in some cases barely acknowledging questions before launching into prepared answers.
Neither candidate answered a question about whether they had discussed potentially stepping in for Trump, 74, or Biden, 77, respectively, if they were to fall ill – a question made more pressing by the president’s Covid-19 diagnosis last week.
Harris was asked if she and Biden would seek to add seats to the supreme court to increase the number of liberal justices – a move which some Democrats, including former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg have touted – but did not answer.
Pence, asked why the number of deaths per capita in the US is worse than the majority of other countries, never came close to answering.
More troublingly, Pence refused to say he would accept the results of the election – Trump did the same in the presidential debate.
01:09 Fly that landed on Mike Pence head becomes VP debate star – video
6. Questions raised over Pence’s appearance
During her debate prep Harris and her team were aware of the double standard women in power are subjected to compared with men – including increased scrutiny over how women look.
Instead it was Pence whose appearance raised eyebrows.
Towards the end of the debate a fly landed on Pence’s head, where it remained for two minutes.
Total time a fly sat on Mike Pence's head: two minutes pic.twitter.com/PtI0rKSi5I — Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 8, 2020
Around the same time, “pink eye” began trending online, as numerous viewers spotted that Pence’s left eye had a distinctly pinky-red tone.
Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, can be a symptom of coronavirus.


theguardian--2020-10-08--Trump's response to the pandemic has always been dishonest and cruel | Rebecca Solnit

“ Everybody was told to wear a mask .
Why did the first family and the chief of staff believe that the rules for everybody else didn ’ t apply to them ?
” debate host Chris Wallace said on Fox News Sunday , and the answer is obvious .
Throughout the pandemic the Trump administration and right-wingers in the US and elsewhere have found that the laws of science are offensive to their sense of impunity and irresponsibility .
Their attitude has been “ this doesn ’ t affect me – and I don ’ t care how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and intensified the need to recognize the interconnectedness of all things—in this case the way that viruses spread and the responsibility of those in power and each of us to do what we can to limit that spread , and to recognize the consequences that could break our educational system , our economy , and our daily lives and hopes and dreams if we did not take care , of ourselves , each other , and the whole .
In other words that we are not separate from each other , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on behalf of the common good .
But Republicans have long denied this reality .
The contemporary right has one central principle : nothing is really connected to anything else , so no one has any responsibility for anything else , and any attempt to , say , prevent a factory from poisoning a river is an infringement on freedom .
They reject the evidence of climate change and other scientific realities on the grounds that it displeases them by undermining their ideology , rather than on the evidence .
Freedom as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything you want with utter disregard for others ( and taken to extremes , to believe anything you want , as they have about climate ) .
To smooth over the ways this is amoral requires disassembling cause-and-effect and , ultimately , denying the systemic nature of all things .
In their logic , poverty must be caused by individual failings , not by systematic inequality and obstacles .
Gun deaths must be disassociated from the deregulation and proliferation of guns .
Taxes are a form of oppression , since no one owes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system that taxes underwrite – infrastructure , law enforcement , education of workers – deny that their success has anything to do with anything but their own bootstrapping virtue and hard work .
Climate change ’ s underlying message that what we do has longterm planetary consequences outrages their sense of autonomy .
The bias in these notions of freedom is evident in the details – such as the education secretary , Betsy DeVos , rewriting the Title IX regulations so that campus rapists have more protections and their victims less .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of opportunity , it ’ s always been about preserving both a hierarchy and codifying notions of masculinity .
Masks have been a sort of litmus test for all this .
If you wore a mask to protect yourself , you admitted that you too were vulnerable .
Former Arkansas governor and Trump loyalist Mike Huckabee recently declared : “ We are the party of the Emancipation Proclamation , not the emasculation proclamation.
” If you wore a mask to protect others , you admitted the systemic nature of this disease .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affect others – and took responsibility for others .
Responsibility is caring and caring was cast as emasculating women ’ s work , and this made clear another underlying idea : it ’ s men who should not be expected to do anything for others : the absolute freedom and irresponsibility was granted to men in particular .
US supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett ’ s apparent submission to her husband ’ s authority is further evidence that this freedom thing is for the guys .
Another crisis in the pandemic comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and childcare closed , the added burden at home has fallen disproportionately– or , you could say , unequally – on women , because men have managed to opt out by many means , including tradition and strategic obliviousness and incompetence .
Casting the wearing of masks as a form of infringement on individual liberty made masks the focus of rage , protest , and violation over the last six months , as well as violence , including murder , directed against those trying to enforce masking regulations .
That the disease was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US meant that it was easy for these white protesters to imagine the disease as someone else ’ s problem ( as did the fact that it first emerged in urban areas in blue states ) .
Donald J Trump reportedly mocked and discouraged the wearing of masks in the White House .
“ I don ’ t agree with the statement that if everybody wears a mask , everything disappears , ” he said to Chris Wallace in July .
Authoritarianism is always inseparable from ideas of masculinity , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , historical records , and science are another thing to which a real man need not submit .
He can have his own version of reality as part of his endless entitlement to freedom , and so Trump spewed out his own version of how this disease worked and what would work in response as medical experts shook their heads .
Now this has caught up with him and his staff and the donors , White House employees , and press corps members their recklessness has exposed .
“ Don ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let it dominate your life , ” the president tweeted from the hospital amid conflicting reports on his condition .
Taking precautions , respecting the dangers , protecting others : these were all now cast as being afraid .
The tweet came a day after he willfully exposed Secret Service agents to his disease so he could take a self-promoting joy ride outside the hospital .
And a day after 757 people ’ s lives were lost to a disease whose spread he did so little to prevent .
All this discredits not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the ideology that underlies it , which has always been as dishonest as it is cruel .

“Everybody was told to wear a mask. Why did the first family and the chief of staff believe that the rules for everybody else didn’t apply to them?” debate host Chris Wallace said on Fox News Sunday, and the answer is obvious. Throughout the pandemic the Trump administration and right-wingers in the US and elsewhere have found that the laws of science are offensive to their sense of impunity and irresponsibility. Their attitude has been “this doesn’t affect me – and I don’t care how it affects you”.
The pandemic focused and intensified the need to recognize the interconnectedness of all things—in this case the way that viruses spread and the responsibility of those in power and each of us to do what we can to limit that spread, and to recognize the consequences that could break our educational system, our economy, and our daily lives and hopes and dreams if we did not take care, of ourselves, each other, and the whole. In other words that we are not separate from each other, and that inseparability is a basis for making decisions on behalf of the common good. But Republicans have long denied this reality.
The contemporary right has one central principle: nothing is really connected to anything else, so no one has any responsibility for anything else, and any attempt to, say, prevent a factory from poisoning a river is an infringement on freedom. They reject the evidence of climate change and other scientific realities on the grounds that it displeases them by undermining their ideology, rather than on the evidence. Freedom as they uphold it is the right to do anything you want with utter disregard for others (and taken to extremes, to believe anything you want, as they have about climate). To smooth over the ways this is amoral requires disassembling cause-and-effect and, ultimately, denying the systemic nature of all things.
In their logic, poverty must be caused by individual failings, not by systematic inequality and obstacles. Gun deaths must be disassociated from the deregulation and proliferation of guns. Taxes are a form of oppression, since no one owes anyone anything. Those who benefit from the system that taxes underwrite – infrastructure, law enforcement, education of workers – deny that their success has anything to do with anything but their own bootstrapping virtue and hard work. Climate change’s underlying message that what we do has longterm planetary consequences outrages their sense of autonomy.
The bias in these notions of freedom is evident in the details – such as the education secretary, Betsy DeVos, rewriting the Title IX regulations so that campus rapists have more protections and their victims less. Despite the rhetoric of freedom and equality of opportunity, it’s always been about preserving both a hierarchy and codifying notions of masculinity. Masks have been a sort of litmus test for all this. If you wore a mask to protect yourself, you admitted that you too were vulnerable. Former Arkansas governor and Trump loyalist Mike Huckabee recently declared: “We are the party of the Emancipation Proclamation, not the emasculation proclamation.” If you wore a mask to protect others, you admitted the systemic nature of this disease. You knew that each of our actions can affect others – and took responsibility for others.
Responsibility is caring and caring was cast as emasculating women’s work, and this made clear another underlying idea: it’s men who should not be expected to do anything for others: the absolute freedom and irresponsibility was granted to men in particular. US supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s apparent submission to her husband’s authority is further evidence that this freedom thing is for the guys. Another crisis in the pandemic comes from the fact that, with schools and childcare closed, the added burden at home has fallen disproportionately– or, you could say, unequally – on women, because men have managed to opt out by many means, including tradition and strategic obliviousness and incompetence.
Casting the wearing of masks as a form of infringement on individual liberty made masks the focus of rage, protest, and violation over the last six months, as well as violence, including murder, directed against those trying to enforce masking regulations. That the disease was disproportionately affecting poor and nonwhite people in the US meant that it was easy for these white protesters to imagine the disease as someone else’s problem (as did the fact that it first emerged in urban areas in blue states). Donald J Trump reportedly mocked and discouraged the wearing of masks in the White House. “I don’t agree with the statement that if everybody wears a mask, everything disappears,” he said to Chris Wallace in July.
Authoritarianism is always inseparable from ideas of masculinity, and in the Trumpworld version, facts, laws, historical records, and science are another thing to which a real man need not submit. He can have his own version of reality as part of his endless entitlement to freedom, and so Trump spewed out his own version of how this disease worked and what would work in response as medical experts shook their heads. Now this has caught up with him and his staff and the donors, White House employees, and press corps members their recklessness has exposed.
“Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” the president tweeted from the hospital amid conflicting reports on his condition. Taking precautions, respecting the dangers, protecting others: these were all now cast as being afraid. The tweet came a day after he willfully exposed Secret Service agents to his disease so he could take a self-promoting joy ride outside the hospital. And a day after 757 people’s lives were lost to a disease whose spread he did so little to prevent. All this discredits not only the Trumpian response to the pandemic, but the ideology that underlies it, which has always been as dishonest as it is cruel.