usatoday--2020-10-09--Foiled kidnapping of Michigan governor highlights preparations for election-related conflict

A season of unrest is quickly giving way to urgent preparations for possible conflict aimed at next month ’ s contentious election , which President Donald Trump has already repeatedly cast as illegitimate .
Federal , state and local law enforcement officials have been bracing for possible clashes at local polling places , violence and larger demonstrations similar to the summer-long social justice protests that spilled into the streets of dozens of American cities .
Across the country , authorities have been considering their role in securing an election at a time when public confidence in law enforcement has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involving police , prompting sustained protests in Portland , Minneapolis , Kenosha , Wisconsin , and Washington , D.C .
In an ominous warning last month , the chief of New Jersey 's Homeland Security and Preparedness office called attention to a gathering storm of worries directly tied to the Nov. 3 election '' Numerous threats from domestic extremists and foreign adversaries have emerged due to the COVID-19 pandemic , anti-government sentiment , nationwide civil unrest , and various forms of disinformation , '' Jared Maples wrote in a state threat assessment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the presidential election in November in a manner not previously experienced by our nation . ''
'Deeply disturbing ' : Feds charge six militia members in domestic terror plot to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer Trump as threat : Michigan Gov .
Whitmer calls Trump 'the biggest threat to the American people' The tensions were dramatically underscored Thursday in Michigan where federal authorities announced charges against six men accused in a thwarted plot to kidnap Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer before the November election as part of plan to overthrow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this case is rather unprecedented , '' said Col. Joseph Gasper , director of the Michigan State Police .
`` But it does send a very vivid reminder that while we maybe in a period of ... divisiveness and fighting across the nation , law enforcement stands united . ''
Much of the anxiety shrouding the approaching November election has been stoked by the president himself .
For months , Trump has authored waves of unsubstantiated claims aimed at undermining confidence in the election .
He has taken particular aim at the integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has asserted without evidence are rife with fraud .
He has variously cast the upcoming election as `` rigged , '' `` corrupt '' , and `` illegal . ''
The president 's assertions have been echoed by Attorney General William Barr who stated last month in an interview with CNN that the mail-in ballot system is vulnerable to `` fraud and coercion . ''
`` This is playing with fire , '' Barr said .
More recently , the Justice Department amended a long-standing policy aimed at discouraging election interference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take action on voter fraud allegations even as voting is underway .
Critics described the action as an attempt to further undermine the approaching election .
`` There is simply no reason to depart from that sensible starting point that has guided federal prosecutors for years , '' said Miriam Aroni Krinsky , executive director of the group Fair and Just Prosecution .
This week , federal law enforcement and intelligence officials pushed back against Trump 's repeated attacks , reaffirming confidence in the nation 's election system .
William Evanina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center , said the `` election system remains resilient '' in a video message with directors of the FBI , National Security Agency , and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency .
`` To be clear , it would be very difficult for adversaries to interfere with , or manipulate , voting results at scale , '' Evanina said , without directly referring to Trump .
But Whitmer , the target of the thwarted kidnapping plot , did not hesitate to link Trump 's divisive rhetoric to fueling an atmosphere of `` hatred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who sought to take action against her .
Whitmer said Trump 's failure to explicitly condemn white supremacists during last week 's debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden effectively serves as `` a rallying cry '' for hate groups who have clashed repeatedly with protesters during social justice demonstrations .
The FBI , which played a central role in the Michigan kidnapping case , said the volatile environment has been a prominent feature in the preparations for safeguarding the election .
“ Of course , our preparations for 2020 take into account the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an FBI official said .
“ As always , the FBI has a responsibility to plan for a host of scenarios ... We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason .
It is vital that the FBI , our law enforcement partners , and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote . ''
The bureau also has appealed to the public to report any suspicious , election-related activity to their local FBI field offices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Operations Center hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI ( 1-800-225-5324 ) or online at www.tips.fbi.gov .
Much of the preparation for election-related security , however , is falling to local law enforcement .
Chuck Wexler , executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum which recently published a report on how law enforcement agencies are preparing for possible violence , said police chiefs are cognizant of unrest that may be timed to the days immediately before or after Election Day .
Some departments , Wexler said , are already notifying officers of plans for 12-hour shifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s a concern that somehow the voting process is going to be disrupted in some way , or that somehow something ’ s going to happen with the ballots , '' Wexler said .
`` We ’ ve never really faced this kind of environment .
Voting has never been this much of a concern.
” Among the fears is that a police presence at polling sites , prohibited in some states , might be seen as intimidating .
“ Police presence is both necessary to prevent potential incidents , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t enter a polling place unless there ’ s some kind of emergency situation , ” Wexler said .
In Philadelphia , where officers are not allowed to be within 100 feet of polling sites , the department is attempting to ensure that officers wear body cameras and are accompanied by a supervisor when they 're called , Wexler said .
In Las Vegas , Deputy Chief Andrew Walsh said officials have not seen any indication of unrest on Election Day , and there is no plan to staff the city ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he said officers will randomly check those sites for signs of voting intimidation .
“ The last thing I want , or any of us want , is to see people not come out and vote because they ’ re afraid to exercise their right , ” Walsh said .
“ The fear and uncertainty is just as real as if it ’ s actually happening , and we don ’ t want people to feel fear and uncertainty .
`` We want people to be assured of two things , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no role , it is impartial , and if we are ( at polling sites ) , we want to keep people safe .
”

Kevin Johnson and Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY

Foiled kidnapping of Michigan governor highlights preparations for election-related conflict
Show Caption Hide Caption Gretchen Whitmer says men who sought kidnapping are 'depraved' The federal government has charged six people with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, per newly unsealed court records. USA TODAY
A season of unrest is quickly giving way to urgent preparations for possible conflict aimed at next month’s contentious election, which President Donald Trump has already repeatedly cast as illegitimate.
Federal, state and local law enforcement officials have been bracing for possible clashes at local polling places, violence and larger demonstrations similar to the summer-long social justice protests that spilled into the streets of dozens of American cities.
Across the country, authorities have been considering their role in securing an election at a time when public confidence in law enforcement has been threatened by a series of fatal shootings involving police, prompting sustained protests in Portland, Minneapolis, Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.
In an ominous warning last month, the chief of New Jersey's Homeland Security and Preparedness office called attention to a gathering storm of worries directly tied to the Nov. 3 election
"Numerous threats from domestic extremists and foreign adversaries have emerged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-government sentiment, nationwide civil unrest, and various forms of disinformation," Jared Maples wrote in a state threat assessment. "These threats will begin to converge with the presidential election in November in a manner not previously experienced by our nation."
'Deeply disturbing': Feds charge six militia members in domestic terror plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Trump as threat: Michigan Gov. Whitmer calls Trump 'the biggest threat to the American people'
The tensions were dramatically underscored Thursday in Michigan where federal authorities announced charges against six men accused in a thwarted plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer before the November election as part of plan to overthrow the state government.
"The nature of this case is rather unprecedented," said Col. Joseph Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police. "But it does send a very vivid reminder that while we maybe in a period of ... divisiveness and fighting across the nation, law enforcement stands united."
How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
'Playing with fire'
Much of the anxiety shrouding the approaching November election has been stoked by the president himself.
For months, Trump has authored waves of unsubstantiated claims aimed at undermining confidence in the election. He has taken particular aim at the integrity of state mail-in ballot systems, which he has asserted without evidence are rife with fraud.
He has variously cast the upcoming election as "rigged," "corrupt", and "illegal."
The president's assertions have been echoed by Attorney General William Barr who stated last month in an interview with CNN that the mail-in ballot system is vulnerable to "fraud and coercion."
"This is playing with fire," Barr said.
More recently, the Justice Department amended a long-standing policy aimed at discouraging election interference, with new guidance allowing prosecutors more authority to take action on voter fraud allegations even as voting is underway.
Critics described the action as an attempt to further undermine the approaching election.
"There is simply no reason to depart from that sensible starting point that has guided federal prosecutors for years," said Miriam Aroni Krinsky, executive director of the group Fair and Just Prosecution.
This week, federal law enforcement and intelligence officials pushed back against Trump's repeated attacks, reaffirming confidence in the nation's election system.
William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said the "election system remains resilient" in a video message with directors of the FBI, National Security Agency, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
"To be clear, it would be very difficult for adversaries to interfere with, or manipulate, voting results at scale," Evanina said, without directly referring to Trump.
But Whitmer, the target of the thwarted kidnapping plot, did not hesitate to link Trump's divisive rhetoric to fueling an atmosphere of "hatred" that have enabled extremists like those who sought to take action against her.
Whitmer said Trump's failure to explicitly condemn white supremacists during last week's debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden effectively serves as "a rallying cry" for hate groups who have clashed repeatedly with protesters during social justice demonstrations.
The FBI, which played a central role in the Michigan kidnapping case, said the volatile environment has been a prominent feature in the preparations for safeguarding the election.
“Of course, our preparations for 2020 take into account the current climate of the country,” an FBI official said. “As always, the FBI has a responsibility to plan for a host of scenarios ... We gather and analyze intelligence to determine whether individuals might be motivated to take violent action for any reason. It is vital that the FBI, our law enforcement partners, and the public work together to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote."
The bureau also has appealed to the public to report any suspicious, election-related activity to their local FBI field offices or the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at www.tips.fbi.gov.
Twelve-hour shifts, fear of new unrest
Much of the preparation for election-related security, however, is falling to local law enforcement.
Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum which recently published a report on how law enforcement agencies are preparing for possible violence, said police chiefs are cognizant of unrest that may be timed to the days immediately before or after Election Day.
Some departments, Wexler said, are already notifying officers of plans for 12-hour shifts.
“You have this environment where there’s a concern that somehow the voting process is going to be disrupted in some way, or that somehow something’s going to happen with the ballots," Wexler said. "We’ve never really faced this kind of environment. Voting has never been this much of a concern.”
Among the fears is that a police presence at polling sites, prohibited in some states, might be seen as intimidating.
“Police presence is both necessary to prevent potential incidents, but also police are careful that they don’t enter a polling place unless there’s some kind of emergency situation,” Wexler said.
In Philadelphia, where officers are not allowed to be within 100 feet of polling sites, the department is attempting to ensure that officers wear body cameras and are accompanied by a supervisor when they're called, Wexler said.
In Lansing, Michigan's capital, the foiled kidnapping plot targeting the governor heightened law enforcement's awareness of extremists who may try to sow chaos in the days leading up to and after the election, said Police Chief Daryl Green.
"Tensions are high. This is a very polarized election, and so we are working to leverage all of our community stakeholders ... to make sure all the resources are in place," Green said. "We're expecting the best, but we have to be prepared for the worst."
Green said his department is monitoring social media for threats, will be on the lookout for bad actors who may embed themselves at protests and has beefed up staffing. Officers and election staffers are also going through training to spot signs of voter intimidation, he said.
In Las Vegas, Deputy Chief Andrew Walsh said officials have not seen any indication of unrest on Election Day, and there is no plan to staff the city’s polling sites with uniformed officers. But he said officers will randomly check those sites for signs of voting intimidation.
“The last thing I want, or any of us want, is to see people not come out and vote because they’re afraid to exercise their right,” Walsh said. “The fear and uncertainty is just as real as if it’s actually happening, and we don’t want people to feel fear and uncertainty.
"We want people to be assured of two things," Walsh said. "Law enforcement has no role, it is impartial, and if we are (at polling sites), we want to keep people safe.”


usatoday--2020-10-10--Trump claims he got COVID from Gold Star event. Evidence shows he likely was already sick by then.

President Donald Trump has publicly suggested that he caught COVID-19 during a ceremony to honor fallen soldiers .
It ’ s more likely he was the one exposing the military families to the virus .
Epidemiologists familiar with USA TODAY ’ s efforts to trace the contacts of White House officials say that Trump likely was in the early stages of COVID-19 days before hosting a series of events leading up to the ceremony for the Gold Star families on Sunday , Sept. 27 .
Reporters have scoured photos , video , social media and travel schedules to identify and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aides and those in their orbit who have recently contracted the novel coronavirus .
Aside from the president and first lady , so far the only others from the Gold Star event known to have tested positive are Coast Guard Adm. Charles Ray and Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany .
By contrast , at least a dozen people who attended the announcement of the president ’ s nominee for the Supreme Court the previous day , Saturday , have tested positive .
“ There are several other people who got sick , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common is that they attended the Saturday event , ” said Jorge Salinas , hospital epidemiologist and clinical assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Iowa .
“ That ’ s the smoking gun.
” It was during a Thursday interview with Fox Business that Trump implied he caught the virus during the annual veterans event , held indoors at the White House .
According to those in attendance , about 25 families were involved and they were required to take a rapid COVID-19 test before entering .
Based on how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it takes to develop symptoms , infectious disease specialists familiar with USA TODAY ’ s reporting say it ’ s more likely Trump contracted the virus earlier .
They said they can not pinpoint “ patient zero ” of the White House outbreak without access to more robust government tracing and molecular typing to identify matching virus samples .
Further complicating matters is the administration ’ s refusal to disclose the date of Trump ’ s last negative test .
Contact tracing and visualizing the people exposed to COVID-19 by Trump outbreak White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for contact tracing , which has included going back 48 hours from a positive test involving any White House staff .
For those with no official ties to the White House , it was up to their own doctor to attempt tracing .
The point of contact tracing is to curb the spread by encouraging those exposed to the virus to quarantine .
By now , some epidemiologists believe the window of opportunity for that already has closed .
After months of downplaying the disease ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 that he had contracted the novel coronavirus .
More than 33 people tied to the White House have since tested positive , including the first lady , senior adviser Hope Hicks and McEnany .
USA TODAY found some of those individuals came in dangerously close contact with at least 120 others in the days around the Supreme Court event .
Many then scattered across the country and continued to go about their daily lives , traveling , attending campaign rallies and fundraisers , going to the gym and leading religious sermons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he caught the virus because he had such close contact with veterans ' families .
“ I can ’ t back up and say : ‘ Give me room .
I want room .
Give me 12 feet .
Stay 12 feet away when you talk , ’ ” Trump said .
The military family members had “ come within an inch of my face , sometimes ” , he added .
“ They want to hug me , and they want to kiss me .
And they do .
And , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to back up .
I ’ m not doing it.
” It can take up to 14 days for someone infected with COVID-19 to fully develop symptoms , but about half begin feeling ill within a week , and by day 10 , it ’ s 90 % .
On average , a person can begin to spread COVID two days before they ’ re symptomatic – the critical 48 hours on which the White House is focusing .
But health experts note that it ’ s complicated to estimate when exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be so subtle .
“ With the president ’ s schedule and behavior , it will be very hard to identify exactly when he got infected , ” said Amesh Adalja , a medical doctor and senior scholar for the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security , referring to both the veterans ceremony and the SCOTUS celebration .
“ If you ’ re going to have events like this , you ’ re going to get cases … this is something you would expect to happen .
It was only a matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one day after the event now pegged as the outbreak ’ s superspreader , when hundreds of conservative officials and evangelicals from across the country gathered in the Rose Garden for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court .
Many did not wear masks or social distance .
Some were photographed shaking hands , hugging and kissing , including at indoor receptions that followed the outdoor ceremony .
Public health officials tasked with stopping the spread of COVID-19 say comprehensive tracing of everyone who attended the SCOTUS event is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the White House outbreak originated and how far it has traveled .
Based solely on the timeline of his positive test , epidemiologists say it is indeed possible that Trump could have caught the virus at the Gold Star Families event .
But , they said , other factors almost entirely rule out the possibility .
Ray , the admiral who confirmed he had COVID-19 on Oct. 5 , and McEnany were the only other people beyond the Trumps to attend the Gold Star event and catch the virus .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least 12 went on to catch coronavirus .
That includes Barrett supporters , like Notre Dame president Rev .
John Jenkins , who has no official ties to the White House and did not attend the Gold Star event .
Help USA TODAY : We need assistance identifying everyone at the White House Rose Garden SCOTUS event .
Experts also point to the size and nature of both events as natural spreaders for an outbreak that could have been spawned even earlier .
By mid-September , a White House staff member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crede Bailey , head of the White House security office , has been hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms since late last month , Bloomberg News has reported .
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel , who also has tested positive , attended a private fundraiser with Trump at the Trump International Hotel in Washington , D.C. on Sept. 25 .
That same night , Trump was with Hicks at a rally in Virginia .
An RNC spokesman said that after her meeting with Trump , McDaniel went home to Michigan and stayed there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hicks tested positive the following day , Trump the day after that .
The president 's comments about the Gold Star event drew ire from Democrats in Congress and some military supporters , who cited his disrespect for the troops and lackluster response to the deadly pandemic .
But military families who attended the event themselves told USA TODAY that they felt safe at the ceremony and were not bothered by the president ’ s remarks .
White House spokeswoman Alyssa Farah has attempted to walk back Trump ’ s comments about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ We by no means are blaming anyone who was present , and we did take a lot of precautions for that event so based on contact tracing and the data we have , we do n't think it arose from that event . ''
She said the president ’ s point was that , “ in the timeframe that he was potentially exposed , there were a number of different venues that he 'd been at and individuals he 'd interacted with that it could have come from.
” The group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , tweeted this week , “ Like everything else , Donald Trump 's White House did n't follow CDC guidelines with this event , and still is n't being straight with families , or doing real contact tracing through the CDC to put their minds at ease.
” Several Democrats in Congress took to social media and issued statements lambasting Trump for his remarks , demanding an apology .
“ President Trump seems to think it ’ s okay to try and shift the blame and scapegoat others for his own failures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-Rhode Island ) , the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee , said in a statement .
“ Instead of casting aspersions on the families of the fallen for infecting him , President Trump should be transparent about his own actions , who he met with and when , and release detailed medical information including a timeline and do some real contact tracing to help stop the spread.
” Others also condemned Trump for his comments – and for allowing the White House outbreak to metastasize .
“ For Donald Trump to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame them for spreading a deadly pandemic that he ’ s actually the one spreading is beyond shameful , ” said U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth ( D-Illinois ) , who is a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel .
Multiple people who attended the veterans ceremony told USA TODAY they felt comfortable with the health precautions taken .
After being tested on arrival , families said they were kept isolated until they received their test results .
They also continued to wear masks during small group tours of the White House .
Families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wearing masks for the rest of the event and could choose whether to mingle with other guests or be taken to a private room .
Britt Harris , whose husband Army Spc .
Christopher Harris was killed in 2017 in Afghanistan , said she and her mother-in-law opted to spend time in a private room because they were there with Harris ’ 2-year-old daughter .
They rejoined the other families and officials later that evening for a ceremony that included speeches from the president and Gold Star father Steven G. Xiarhos as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 service members being honored .
Harris said she didn ’ t expect her husband ’ s name to be one of two highlighted in the president ’ s speech .
“ It was a big deal to our family , ” she said .
“ It was really special to have him talk about Chris.
” She said her mother-in-law tested negative for COVID-19 after the event .
Harris did not get tested , but quarantined with her daughter .
Texas resident Ruth Holler , whose son Lance Cpl .
Luke Holler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her experience was “ heartwarming ” and “ the trip of a lifetime.
” Holler and one of her daughters told USA TODAY the seven members of their family who attended the event have not been tested , but none are showing symptoms .
Hank Cramer , whose father Capt .
Harry G. Cramer was killed in Vietnam in 1957 , also said that he felt safe throughout the evening .
Cramer said the president spent several minutes asking about his father ’ s service .
He and other attendees said they stood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not shake hands .
“ I think he was probably speaking realistically that he might have caught the virus in any public meeting that he ’ s been at in the last few weeks , ” Cramer said .
“ And I appreciate the fact that he did not shy away from us .
That he came and spent the evening with us and was willing to talk with us.
” Cramer , who lives in Washington state , said he learned the president had COVID-19 from the news .
That day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small town and asked if he and his wife could be tested .
The receptionist asked if they were showing symptoms and , when he said they were not , explained that the office only offered testing to those who were ill. “ I said , ‘ well I ’ m asking to get tested because I was at the White House with the President of the United States last Sunday , and he has COVID ’ and there was a silence at the end of the phone , ” Cramer said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that case , come on down.
’ ” He said he and his wife ’ s tests came back negative .
A USA TODAY review of timelines and travel schedules for many of the officials now confirmed ill shows the virus had infiltrated the White House much earlier than the president let on in his Fox Business interview .
Trump confirmed in a briefing with reporters at the White House on Sept. 16 that at least one case had emerged within the administration .
At the time , the White House would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unclear whether he was referring to Crede or another staffer entirely .
“ It was one person .
That ’ s – I mean , so not too much – not a person that I was associated with , ” Trump said at the time .
Following the disclosure , Trump and his administration continued to flout public health guidelines by organizing large public gatherings , with little regard for face coverings and proper social distancing .
In the last two weeks of September , the president participated in at least 11 rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump spoke without a mask at the White House Conference on American History , while first lady Melania Trump visited a firehouse in Manchester , New Hampshire to discuss substance abuse .
President Trump then boarded planes for events in Minnesota , North Carolina , Ohio , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania .
The president and U.S. Attorney General William Barr met with the attorneys general in various states about protecting consumers from social media abuse , and he hosted a Latinos for Trump roundtable at the Trump National Doral Miami on Sept. 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without masks .
He travelled to a black economic empowerment event near Atlanta on Sept. 25 , where he elbow-bumped NFL legend Herschel Walker and mingled with other supporters .
The Sept. 18 Trump rally in Minnesota alone has been associated with nine COVID-19 cases , including two hospitalizations , according to MPR News .
Even after the outbreak snowballed , and Trump himself tested positive , members of the White House have continued to skirt basic recommendations about such events , relying instead upon a strategy of testing those who are to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped at faith summits , campaign rallies and other political fundraisers , where they came into contact with thousands .
Sen. Ron Johnson , ( R-Wisconsin ) , a vocal critic of mask mandates , attended a fundraiser after he had taken a test for the virus , but before the results came back positive .
McEnany continued to interact with members of the media without a mask before she tested positive .
And at least six faith leaders from the Rose Garden SCOTUS event gave in-person sermons the following Sunday – after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kyle Bagentose and Nicholas Wu contributed to this story

Josh Salman, Marisa Kwiatkowski, Tricia L. Nadolny, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Katie Wedell, USA TODAY

Trump claims he got COVID-19 from Gold Star event; evidence shows he probably was already sick by then
Show Caption Hide Caption Ben Carson adds to the list of Trump's circle positive for COVID-19 Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson adds to the running list of people who tested positive for COVID-19 since the president's diagnosis. USA TODAY
President Donald Trump has publicly suggested that he caught COVID-19 during a ceremony to honor fallen soldiers. It’s more likely he was the one exposing the military families to the virus.
Epidemiologists familiar with USA TODAY’s efforts to trace the contacts of White House officials say Trump likely was in the early stages of COVID-19 days before hosting a series of events leading up to the ceremony for the Gold Star families on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Reporters have scoured photos, video, social media and travel schedules to identify and trace the whereabouts of White House officials, aides and those in their orbit who have contracted the novel coronavirus.
Aside from the president and first lady, so far the only others from the Gold Star event known to have tested positive are Coast Guard Adm. Charles Ray and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
By contrast, at least a dozen people who attended the announcement of the president’s nominee for the Supreme Court the previous day, Saturday, have tested positive.
“There are several other people who got sick, and the only thing that they had in common is that they attended the Saturday event,” said Jorge Salinas, hospital epidemiologist and clinical assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of Iowa. “That’s the smoking gun.”
It was during an interview Thursday with Fox Business that Trump implied he caught the virus during the annual veterans event, which was held indoors at the White House. According to those who were there, about 25 families were involved, and they were required to take a rapid COVID-19 test before entering.
Based on how COVID-19 incubates and the amount of time it takes to develop symptoms, infectious disease specialists familiar with USA TODAY’s reporting say it’s more likely Trump contracted the virus earlier.
They said they cannot pinpoint “patient zero” of the White House outbreak without access to more robust government tracing and molecular typing to identify matching virus samples. Further complicating matters is the administration’s refusal to disclose the date of Trump’s last negative test.
Tracing the White House COVID-19 outbreak:
White House officials said the administration has followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for contact tracing, which has included going back 48 hours from a positive test involving any White House staff. For those with no official ties to the White House, it was up to their own doctor to attempt tracing.
The point of contact tracing is to curb the spread by encouraging those exposed to the virus to quarantine. By now, some epidemiologists believe the window of opportunity for that already has closed.
After months of downplaying the disease’s dangers, Trump announced on Oct. 2 that he had contracted the coronavirus. More than 33 people tied to the White House have since tested positive, including the first lady, senior adviser Hope Hicks and McEnany.
USA TODAY found some of those people came in dangerously close contact with at least 120 others in the days around the Supreme Court event. Many then scattered across the country and continued to go about their daily lives, traveling, attending campaign rallies and fundraisers, going to the gym and leading religious sermons.
During the Fox Business interview, Trump suggested he caught the virus because he had such close contact with veterans' families.
“I can’t back up and say: ‘Give me room. I want room. Give me 12 feet. Stay 12 feet away when you talk,’” Trump said. The military family members had “come within an inch of my face, sometimes. 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.”
COVID-19 testing: Positivity rates and why they are so important COVID-19 widespread testing is crucial to fighting the pandemic, but is there enough testing? The answer is in the positivity rates. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
It can take up to 14 days for someone infected with COVID-19 to fully develop symptoms, but about half begin feeling ill within a week, and by day 10, it’s 90%. On average, a person can begin to spread COVID two days before they’re symptomatic – the critical 48 hours on which the White House is focusing.
But health experts note that it’s complicated to estimate when exactly a patient becomes contagious because early symptoms can be so subtle.
“With the president’s schedule and behavior, it will be very hard to identify exactly when he got infected,” said Amesh Adalja, a medical doctor and senior scholar for the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, referring to both the veterans ceremony and the SCOTUS celebration. “If you’re going to have events like this, you’re going to get cases. … This is something you would expect to happen. It was only a matter of time.”
The veterans ceremony came just one day after the event now pegged as the outbreak’s superspreader, when hundreds of conservative officials and evangelicals from across the country gathered in the Rose Garden for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Many did not wear masks or social-distance. Some were photographed shaking hands, hugging and kissing, including at indoor receptions affiliated with the outdoor ceremony.
Public health officials tasked with stopping the spread of COVID-19 say comprehensive tracing of everyone who attended the SCOTUS event is the only way to know for sure where the White House outbreak originated and how far it has traveled.
Based solely on the timeline of his positive test, epidemiologists say it is indeed possible that Trump could have caught the virus at the Gold Star Families event. But, they said, other factors almost entirely rule out the possibility.
Ray, the admiral who confirmed he had COVID-19 on Oct. 5, and McEnany were the only other people beyond the Trumps to attend the Gold Star event and catch the virus.
Meanwhile, among those at the Barrett nomination ceremony, at least 12 went on to test positive for the coronavirus. That includes Barrett supporters, like Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins, who has no official ties to the White House and did not attend the Gold Star event.
Help USA TODAY: We need assistance identifying everyone at the White House Rose Garden SCOTUS event.
Experts also point to the size and nature of both events as natural spreaders for an outbreak that could have been spawned even earlier.
By mid-September, a White House staff member already had tested positive for COVID-19. Crede Bailey, head of the White House security office, has been hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms since late last month, Bloomberg News has reported.
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, who also has tested positive, attended a private fundraiser with Trump at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 25. That same night, Trump was with Hicks at a rally in Virginia.
An RNC spokesman said that after her meeting with Trump, McDaniel went home to Michigan and stayed there. Four days later, she tested positive. Hicks tested positive the following day, Trump the day after that.
Gold Star event described as 'heartwarming'
The president's comments about the Gold Star event drew ire from Democrats in Congress and some military supporters, who cited his disrespect for the troops and lackluster response to the deadly pandemic. But military families who attended the event themselves told USA TODAY they felt safe at the ceremony and were not bothered by the president’s remarks.
White House spokeswoman Alyssa Farah has tried to walk back Trump’s comments about the Gold Star ceremony, telling reporters, “We by no means are blaming anyone who was present, and we did take a lot of precautions for that event so based on contact tracing and the data we have, we don't think it arose from that event."
She said the president’s point was that “in the time frame that he was potentially exposed, there were a number of different venues that he'd been at and individuals he'd interacted with that it could have come from.”
The group VoteVets, which has been critical of Trump, tweeted this week, “Like everything else, Donald Trump's White House didn't follow CDC guidelines with this event, and still isn't being straight with families, or doing real contact tracing through the CDC to put their minds at ease.”
Like everything else, Donald Trump's White House didn't follow CDC guidelines with this event, and still isn't being straight with families, or doing real contact tracing through the CDC to put their minds at ease. (1/2) https://t.co/6vkTmXU1GX — VoteVets (Text VOTEVETS to 88424) (@votevets) October 8, 2020
Several Democrats in Congress took to social media and issued statements lambasting Trump for his remarks, demanding an apology.
“President Trump seems to think it’s okay to try and shift the blame and scapegoat others for his own failures,” U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. “Instead of casting aspersions on the families of the fallen for infecting him, President Trump should be transparent about his own actions, who he met with and when, and release detailed medical information including a timeline and do some real contact tracing to help stop the spread.”
Others also condemned Trump for his comments – and for allowing the White House outbreak to metastasize.
“For Donald Trump to continue to insult Gold Star Families and blame them for spreading a deadly pandemic that he’s actually the one spreading is beyond shameful,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who is a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel.
Multiple people who attended the veterans ceremony told USA TODAY they felt comfortable with the health precautions taken. After being tested on arrival, families said they were kept isolated until they received their test results. They also continued to wear masks during small group tours of the White House.
Families said they were given the option of wearing masks for the rest of the event and could choose whether to mingle with other guests or be taken to a private room.
Britt Harris, whose husband, Army Spc. Christopher Harris, was killed in 2017 in Afghanistan, said she and her mother-in-law opted to spend time in a private room because they were there with Harris’ 2-year-old daughter.
They rejoined the other families and officials later that evening for a ceremony that included speeches from the president and Gold Star father Steven G. Xiarhos as well as lighting candles for each of the 25 service members being honored. Harris said she didn’t expect her husband’s name to be one of two highlighted in the president’s speech.
“It was a big deal to our family,” she said. “It was really special to have him talk about Chris.”
She said her mother-in-law tested negative for COVID-19 after the event. Harris did not get tested but quarantined with her daughter.
Texas resident Ruth Holler, whose son Lance Cpl. Luke Holler died in 2006 in Iraq, said her experience was “heartwarming” and “the trip of a lifetime.” Holler and one of her daughters told USA TODAY the seven members of their family who attended the event have not been tested, but none are showing symptoms.
Hank Cramer, whose father, Capt. Harry G. Cramer, was killed in Vietnam in 1957, also said he felt safe throughout the evening. Cramer said the president spent several minutes asking about his father’s service. He and other attendees said they stood 6 feet away from the president and did not shake hands.
“I think he was probably speaking realistically that he might have caught the virus in any public meeting that he’s been at in the last few weeks,” Cramer said. “And I appreciate the fact that he did not shy away from us. That he came and spent the evening with us and was willing to talk with us.”
Cramer, who lives in Washington state, said he learned the president had COVID-19 from the news. That day, Cramer called a clinic in his small town and asked if he and his wife could be tested. The receptionist asked if they were showing symptoms and, when he said they were not, explained that the office offered testing only to those who were ill.
“I said, ‘Well I’m asking to get tested because I was at the White House with the president of the United States last Sunday, and he has COVID,’ and there was a silence at the end of the phone,” Cramer said. “They said, ‘Well in that case, come on down.’”
He said he and his wife’s tests came back negative.
Virus infiltrated White House by mid-September
A USA TODAY review of timelines and travel schedules for many of the officials now confirmed ill shows the virus had infiltrated the White House much earlier than the president let on in his Fox Business interview.
Trump confirmed in a briefing with reporters at the White House on Sept. 16 that at least one case had emerged within the administration. At the time, the White House would not confirm whom he meant, and it remains unclear whether he was referring to Crede or another staffer entirely.
“It was one person. That’s – I mean, so not too much – not a person that I was associated with,” Trump said at the time.
Following the disclosure, Trump and his administration continued to flout public health guidelines by organizing large public gatherings, with little regard for face coverings and proper social distancing. In the last two weeks of September, the president participated in at least 11 rallies and fundraisers.
The very next day, Trump spoke without a mask at the White House Conference on American History, while first lady Melania Trump visited a firehouse in Manchester, New Hampshire, to discuss substance abuse.
President Trump then flew to events in Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
The president and U.S. Attorney General William Barr met with the attorneys general in various states about protecting consumers from social media abuse, and he hosted a Latinos for Trump roundtable at the Trump National Doral Miami on Sept. 25 before more than 150 people, many of them without masks. He traveled to a black economic empowerment event near Atlanta on Sept. 25, where he elbow-bumped NFL legend Herschel Walker and mingled with other supporters.
The Sept. 18 Trump rally in Minnesota alone has been associated with nine COVID-19 cases, including two hospitalizations, according to MPR News.
Even after the outbreak snowballed and Trump himself tested positive, members of the White House have continued to skirt basic recommendations about such events, relying instead upon a strategy of testing those who are to have contact with the president.
They stopped at faith summits, campaign rallies and other political fundraisers, where they came into contact with thousands. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a vocal critic of mask mandates, attended a fundraiser after he had taken a test for the virus but before the results came back positive.
McEnany continued to interact with members of the media without a mask before she tested positive. And at least six faith leaders from the Rose Garden Supreme Court event gave in-person sermons the following Sunday – after Trump announced he had the coronavirus.
Contributing: Kyle Bagentose and Nicholas Wu


usatoday--2020-10-09--Trump lashes out at Barr after realizing inquiry into Russia probe won't be public before election

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has lashed out both in public and private at Attorney General William Barr after realizing the Department of Justice investigation into the origins of the Russia probe wo n't be made public before Election Day , administration officials told USA TODAY .
Trump has ramped up his criticism of Barr in recent days as he seeks to make the origins of the Russia probe a major election issue .
The president has long cast the Russia investigation as a political hoax meant to undermine him and has called for the indictment of his political enemies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
But Barr has said previously that neither Obama nor Biden are under a criminal investigation , despite the president 's assertions that his predecessor committed criminal offenses .
Administration officials also said Trump is aware that such indictments are unlikely .
Still , while recovering after contracting coronavirus , Trump has publicly pressured his attorney general .
`` Unless Bill Barr indicts these people for crimes , the greatest political crime in history of our country , then we 're going to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump told Fox Business News Thursday .
Trump has expressed similar sentiments in private , said two administration officials , speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations .
A Justice Department spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment .
A spokesman for John Durham , the chief federal prosecutor in Connecticut , whom Barr tapped last year to look into the origins of the Russia investigation and the FBI 's surveillance activities , declined to comment .
The Russia investigation , which the FBI began in 2016 and special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , cast a dark cloud over much of Trump 's presidency and led to the indictment of half a dozen former aides and associates .
Mueller 's investigation found that Russia interfered in the last presidential race to help Trump win .
Members of the Trump campaign were eager beneficiaries of that effort , although Mueller 's team did not find evidence of a conspiracy with the Kremlin .
So far , the Durham investigation has led to one indictment .
Former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty last summer to falsifying an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Trump campaign aide Carter Page during the early months of the Russia investigation .
Clinesmith , who worked for the FBI for four years , altered an email that investigators relied on to justify an application to wiretap Page , according to court records .
The altered email indicated that Page was `` not a source '' for the Central Intelligence Agency ; the original email from the CIA indicated otherwise .
Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have been waiting anxiously for Durham 's full findings , and Barr told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be `` significant developments '' before the Nov. 3 election .
But White House aides said Trump seems aware there will be no report from Durham or more indictments ahead of November , in part because of the informal Justice Department policy against sensitive legal actions too close to Election Day .
Aides said Trump and Barr have discussed aspects of the Durham probe , but they do n't know details of those discussions .
During the Fox News interview , Trump claimed that Durham has already gathered enough evidence .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we 're going to find out what happened to Durham , but he 's got so much stuff , '' Trump said .
Speaking on Friday with radio host Rush Limbaugh , Trump was asked about media reports that Barr had told Republicans that there wo n't be a report from Durham before the election .
The Durham inquiry : Ex-CIA chief John Brennan interviewed for 8 hours as part of Durham 's review of Russia probe '' If that 's the case , I 'm very disappointed .
I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'll say it to his face , '' Trump said of Barr .
Advocates who see Trump 's pressure campaign and the Durham inquiry as reelection tactics are keeping a close watch on the president .
`` Donald Trump has used his administration again and again to prop up his reelection campaign , from propaganda videos to undermining vote-by-mail , '' said Jordan Libowitz , spokesman for the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington .
`` But he 's done nothing more egregious than pressure the Department of Justice to investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The Justice Department 's inspector general concluded that the FBI was justified in launching the investigation into Russian election meddling and possible ties to the Trump campaign , but it found that the surveillance of Page was rife with errors and misstatements .
The GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee , which conducted its own investigation on Russia , has also released voluminous reports that backed Mueller 's findings on Russian interference .

David Jackson and Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY

Trump lashes out at Barr after realizing inquiry into Russia probe won't be public before election
Show Caption Hide Caption Doctor: Trump virus treatment 'not a cure' Dr. Murtaza Akhter says an experimental drug used to treat President Donald Trump for COVID-19 is "not a cure" despite what the president says. Trump was treated with Regeneron's antibody drug and he credited it with improving his health. (Oct. 8) AP
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has lashed out both in public and private at Attorney General William Barr after realizing the Department of Justice investigation into the origins of the Russia probe won't be made public before Election Day, administration officials told USA TODAY.
Trump has ramped up his criticism of Barr in recent days as he seeks to make the origins of the Russia probe a major election issue. The president has long cast the Russia investigation as a political hoax meant to undermine him and has called for the indictment of his political enemies, including former President Barack Obama and former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
But Barr has said previously that neither Obama nor Biden are under a criminal investigation, despite the president's assertions that his predecessor committed criminal offenses. Administration officials also said Trump is aware that such indictments are unlikely.
Still, while recovering after contracting coronavirus, Trump has publicly pressured his attorney general.
"Unless Bill Barr indicts these people for crimes, the greatest political crime in history of our country, then we're going to get little satisfaction unless I win," Trump told Fox Business News Thursday.
Trump has expressed similar sentiments in private, said two administration officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
A Justice Department spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for John Durham, the chief federal prosecutor in Connecticut, whom Barr tapped last year to look into the origins of the Russia investigation and the FBI's surveillance activities, declined to comment.
The Russia investigation, which the FBI began in 2016 and special counsel Robert Mueller took over in 2017, cast a dark cloud over much of Trump's presidency and led to the indictment of half a dozen former aides and associates. Mueller's investigation found that Russia interfered in the last presidential race to help Trump win. Members of the Trump campaign were eager beneficiaries of that effort, although Mueller's team did not find evidence of a conspiracy with the Kremlin.
So far, the Durham investigation has led to one indictment.
Russian meddling: GOP-led Senate panel offers playbook on Russia's election interference
Former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty last summer to falsifying an email used to support the surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page during the early months of the Russia investigation. Clinesmith, who worked for the FBI for four years, altered an email that investigators relied on to justify an application to wiretap Page, according to court records. The altered email indicated that Page was "not a source" for the Central Intelligence Agency; the original email from the CIA indicated otherwise.
Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have been waiting anxiously for Durham's full findings, and Barr told Fox News last summer that there will be "significant developments" before the Nov. 3 election.
But White House aides said Trump seems aware there will be no report from Durham or more indictments ahead of November, in part because of the informal Justice Department policy against sensitive legal actions too close to Election Day. Aides said Trump and Barr have discussed aspects of the Durham probe, but they don't know details of those discussions.
During the Fox News interview, Trump claimed that Durham has already gathered enough evidence.
"I don't know what happened to Durham, but we're going to find out what happened to Durham, but he's got so much stuff," Trump said.
Speaking on Friday with radio host Rush Limbaugh, Trump was asked about media reports that Barr had told Republicans that there won't be a report from Durham before the election.
The Durham inquiry: Ex-CIA chief John Brennan interviewed for 8 hours as part of Durham's review of Russia probe
"If that's the case, I'm very disappointed. I think it's a terrible thing, and I'll say it to his face," Trump said of Barr.
Advocates who see Trump's pressure campaign and the Durham inquiry as reelection tactics are keeping a close watch on the president.
"Donald Trump has used his administration again and again to prop up his reelection campaign, from propaganda videos to undermining vote-by-mail," said Jordan Libowitz, spokesman for the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "But he's done nothing more egregious than pressure the Department of Justice to investigate and bring charges against his political enemies."
The Justice Department's inspector general concluded that the FBI was justified in launching the investigation into Russian election meddling and possible ties to the Trump campaign, but it found that the surveillance of Page was rife with errors and misstatements.
The GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee, which conducted its own investigation on Russia, has also released voluminous reports that backed Mueller's findings on Russian interference.


usatoday--2020-10-09--White House offers $1.8 trillion COVID-19 stimulus plan as Trump says he wants even more funding

WASHINGTON – The White House offered Democrats a $ 1.8 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package as President Donald Trump reverses course on stimulus negotiations , saying he wants to `` Go Big . ''
The proposal is a $ 1.8 trillion offer , according to an administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of a negotiation still underway .
It is about $ 200 billion more than the White House 's $ 1.6 trillion proposal last week .
The White House 's latest offer is still smaller than the $ 2.2 trillion Democrats most recently offered and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to undercut his administration 's negotiation Friday afternoon , telling Rush Limbaugh in an interview , `` I would like to see a bigger stimulus package frankly than either the Democrats or the Republicans are offering . ''
White House spokesperson Alyssa Farah told reporters later Friday the administration wants to `` stay below 2 trillion . ''
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked on the phone Friday with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for just over a half hour , Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill said .
According to Hammill , Mnuchin `` attempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Hammill noted the `` absence of an agreement on a strategic plan to crush the virus , '' echoing a letter Pelosi sent to House Democrats earlier in the day outlining Democrats ' demands for relief provisions to include a plan for testing , contact-tracing , and vaccines .
Democrats were still waiting on the text of a proposal and negotiations on the overall funding amount would continue , he said .
Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow told reporters Friday that Trump had approved a “ revised ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide details .
Kudlow has not been part of negotiations so far , which have largely involved Pelosi , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , and Mnuchin .
More : House passes COVID-19 stimulus bill opposed by Senate as negotiations stall out Shortly after , Trump tweeted , “ Covid Relief Negotiations are moving along .
Go Big !
” Pelosi said on MSNBC Friday she would talk more with Mnuchin as they worked through differences on funding amounts and on policy in the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding for state and local governments and the dollar amount for a federal unemployment benefit boost .
“ I do hope we will have an agreement soon , ” she said .
The optimism comes three days after Trump abruptly rejected the recent Democratic proposal and said he wanted to postpone any negotiations until after the November election .
Since then , Trump has reversed course , saying he wanted standalone bills to send out stimulus checks and provide relief to airlines .
Any negotiated deal , however , will have to pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have expressed hesitancy at spending trillions of dollars on COVID-19 relief .
At an event in Kentucky Friday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was “ unlikely ” a stimulus deal would occur before the election .
He said at another event it was `` unclear '' if both sides could reach a deal on another package , adding the `` first item of priority in the Senate is the Supreme Court '' and confirming Trump 's nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett .
Mitch McConnell : A COVID-19 relief deal is @ @ @ @ @

White House offers $1.8 trillion COVID-19 stimulus plan as Trump says he wants even more funding
Show Caption Hide Caption Mitch McConnell cites White House's lax COVID rules for his absence Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday he hasn't been to the White House since August 6. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – The White House offered Democrats a $1.8 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package as President Donald Trump reverses course on stimulus negotiations, saying he wants to "Go Big."
The proposal is a $1.8 trillion offer, according to an administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of a negotiation still underway. It is about $200 billion more than the White House's $1.6 trillion proposal last week.
The White House's latest offer is still smaller than the $2.2 trillion Democrats most recently offered and which Trump rejected on Tuesday. Trump seemed to undercut his administration's negotiation Friday afternoon, telling Rush Limbaugh in an interview, "I would like to see a bigger stimulus package frankly than either the Democrats or the Republicans are offering."
White House spokesperson Alyssa Farah told reporters later Friday the administration wants to "stay below 2 trillion."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked on the phone Friday with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for just over a half hour, Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill said.
According to Hammill, Mnuchin "attempted" to return with a new proposal, but Hammill noted the "absence of an agreement on a strategic plan to crush the virus," echoing a letter Pelosi sent to House Democrats earlier in the day outlining Democrats' demands for relief provisions to include a plan for testing, contact-tracing, and vaccines. Democrats were still waiting on the text of a proposal and negotiations on the overall funding amount would continue, he said.
Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow told reporters Friday that Trump had approved a “revised” stimulus package, though he declined to provide details. Kudlow has not been part of negotiations so far, which have largely involved Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Mnuchin.
More: House passes COVID-19 stimulus bill opposed by Senate as negotiations stall out
Shortly after, Trump tweeted, “Covid Relief Negotiations are moving along. Go Big!”
Pelosi said on MSNBC Friday she would talk more with Mnuchin as they worked through differences on funding amounts and on policy in the bill. Negotiations have deadlocked over provisions like funding for state and local governments and the dollar amount for a federal unemployment benefit boost. “I do hope we will have an agreement soon,” she said.
The optimism comes three days after Trump abruptly rejected the recent Democratic proposal and said he wanted to postpone any negotiations until after the November election. Since then, Trump has reversed course, saying he wanted standalone bills to send out stimulus checks and provide relief to airlines.
Any negotiated deal, however, will have to pass through the Republican-controlled Senate, where members have expressed hesitancy at spending trillions of dollars on COVID-19 relief.
At an event in Kentucky Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was “unlikely” a stimulus deal would occur before the election.
He said at another event it was "unclear" if both sides could reach a deal on another package, adding the "first item of priority in the Senate is the Supreme Court" and confirming Trump's nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Mitch McConnell: A COVID-19 relief deal is 'unlikely' before Election Day


usatoday--2020-10-09--Bold predictions for Week 6 of the college football season

Surprise performances and unexpected outcomes are anticipated each weekend in the wild world of college football .
Even if everyone knows they are coming , guessing when and where they will happen is difficult .
The USA TODAY Sports college football staff — Jace Evans , Paul Myerberg , Brent Schrotenboer , Erick Smith , Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken — weigh in with some bold predictions for Week 6 of the college football season : Nick Saban will be extremely annoyed Saturday night .
This is probably true most weekends his Alabama Crimson Tide play , but it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Mississippi team now led by former assistant Lane Kiffin .
Saban has never lost to one of his former assistants , moving to 20-0 after last weekend ’ s win over Jimbo Fisher ’ s Texas A & M , and that doesn ’ t figure to change against a Rebels team that doesn ’ t seem especially good on defense .
But the early stages of the Kiffin era have shown that Ole Miss can put some points on the board and , because he ’ s Kiffin , the ex-Alabama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tricks up his sleeve for this contest .
Alabama will win but it might cede more yards and points than we ’ re used to , which – combined with who would be responsible for that – is sure to leave Saban fuming at his postgame press conference .
STAFF PICKS : Predictions for Clemson-Miami and all other Top 26 games Florida joins Alabama in handing Texas A & M a lopsided loss against a top-ranked conference opponent .
In doing so , the Gators add to the scrutiny on Fisher as questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has made during his three seasons .
Maybe the questions are unfair in one respect : A & M is still building a roster with the depth and experience to contend for the playoff .
But this is Florida coach Dan Mullen ’ s third season , too .
Unlike the Aggies , the Gators have been rolling .
The Red River rivalry has been reduced to this : Two teams outside the Top 20 , both coming off losses , but with two quarterbacks that rank in the top 10 in pass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma ’ s Spencer Rattler and Texas ' Sam Ehlinger .
Who ’ s better ?
It depends on who ’ s hungrier .
Oklahoma is 0-2 in league play for the first time this millennium , since before coach Bob Stoops arrived in 1999 to return the program to glory .
This time the bet is on the redshirt freshman ( Rattler ) to beat the senior ( Ehlinger ) and the unranked Sooners to slug out of their slump to beat the No .
22 Longhorns .
In two games under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself as one of the most improved teams in the country , leading Georgia at halftime and then beating Mississippi State on the road .
Things do n't get any easier this week for the Razorbacks as they head to No .
13 Auburn .
The Tigers will be smarting after their loss to Georgia .
Their reaction can go one of two ways : Either they 'll be motivated to take our their frustrations on Arkansas or they 'll have an emotional hangover and let down against a perceived easy opponent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ making this a four-quarter game that goes to the wire .
The 2020 college football season was always going to be unusual .
But the suboptimal early returns from Big 12 country that have effectively knocked the conference out of the playoff chase were nevertheless somewhat surprising .
But while the normally much-anticipated Red River showdown is not the top-10 clash we expected , it should still be fun .
It probably won ’ t approach the level of wildness West Virginia and Baylor achieved in that 70-63 aerial show in 2012 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s a battle of teams that like to throw the ball around but aren ’ t terribly good at pass defense .
That has been a defining characteristic of the entire league , unfortunately for its national championship prospects , but at least we can be entertained .
So how will it go ?
The Longhorns have the more experienced signal caller in Ehlinger , and the Sooners ’ inconsistent running game has contributed to their inability to protect double-digit leads in both their league losses .
Logically , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I ’ m not .
My hunch is the game will come down to who does a better job eliminating mistakes , and I think that will be Oklahoma .
Yes , the Sooners have dropped two in a row , but they won ’ t make it three .
It seems pretty crazy to pick against Clemson given that the last time the Tigers lost an ACC game was at Syracuse on Oct. 17 , 2017 .
But all streaks are due to come to an end , and the reason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) this weekend is simple : Energy .
Clemson is a notoriously slow-starting team , and that has been evident even in the three victories the Tigers have posted this year .
Dabo Swinney does not put the pedal to the metal for the first half of the season because he does n't really have to , as Clemson is usually good enough to win playing its B-minus game .
But the Tigers have also gotten a little lucky in those situations ( avoiding overtime against Texas A & M in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trevor Lawrence , stopping a winning two-point conversion against North Carolina last year ) .
Eventually , that kind of luck runs out , and this feels like a circumstance when a resurgent Miami is going to play its best game and Clemson might still be a little lethargic .
If that 's the case , the Hurricanes are good enough to get the job done .
The Tigers allowed 417 yards and 25 first downs to Virginia last week .
With D'Eriq King at the helm , Miami is averaging 6.7 yards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't bring it like it 's a playoff game , they 'll get caught this weekend .

Bold predictions for Week 6 of the college football season
Show Caption Hide Caption Amway Coaches Poll: Alabama's Mac Jones has been on point USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg discusses Alabama's strong start, Georgia's bounce-back effort and Texas entering the danger zone after a loss. SportsPulse, USA TODAY
Surprise performances and unexpected outcomes are anticipated each weekend in the wild world of college football. Even if everyone knows they are coming, guessing when and where they will happen is difficult.
The USA TODAY Sports college football staff — Jace Evans, Paul Myerberg, Brent Schrotenboer, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken — weigh in with some bold predictions for Week 6 of the college football season:
Jace Evans
Nick Saban will be extremely annoyed Saturday night. This is probably true most weekends his Alabama Crimson Tide play, but it will be especially true after the matchup with a Mississippi team now led by former assistant Lane Kiffin. Saban has never lost to one of his former assistants, moving to 20-0 after last weekend’s win over Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M, and that doesn’t figure to change against a Rebels team that doesn’t seem especially good on defense. But the early stages of the Kiffin era have shown that Ole Miss can put some points on the board and, because he’s Kiffin, the ex-Alabama OC is sure to have a few tricks up his sleeve for this contest. Alabama will win but it might cede more yards and points than we’re used to, which – combined with who would be responsible for that – is sure to leave Saban fuming at his postgame press conference.
IMPACT GAMES: Clemson-Miami tops list of biggest matchups in Week 6
ANSWERS NEEDED: Miami, Tennessee lead Week 6's biggest questions
STAFF PICKS: Predictions for Clemson-Miami and all other Top 26 games
Paul Myerberg
Florida joins Alabama in handing Texas A&M a lopsided loss against a top-ranked conference opponent. In doing so, the Gators add to the scrutiny on Fisher as questions mount over how much progress the program has made during his three seasons. Maybe the questions are unfair in one respect: A&M is still building a roster with the depth and experience to contend for the playoff. But this is Florida coach Dan Mullen’s third season, too. Unlike the Aggies, the Gators have been rolling.
Brent Schrotenboer
The Red River rivalry has been reduced to this: Two teams outside the Top 20, both coming off losses, but with two quarterbacks that rank in the top 10 in pass efficiency and passing yards per game: Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and Texas' Sam Ehlinger. Who’s better? It depends on who’s hungrier. Oklahoma is 0-2 in league play for the first time this millennium, since before coach Bob Stoops arrived in 1999 to return the program to glory. This time the bet is on the redshirt freshman (Rattler) to beat the senior (Ehlinger) and the unranked Sooners to slug out of their slump to beat the No. 22 Longhorns.
Erick Smith
In two games under coach Sam Pittman, Arkansas has established itself as one of the most improved teams in the country, leading Georgia at halftime and then beating Mississippi State on the road. Things don't get any easier this week for the Razorbacks as they head to No. 13 Auburn.
The Tigers will be smarting after their loss to Georgia. Their reaction can go one of two ways: Either they'll be motivated to take our their frustrations on Arkansas or they'll have an emotional hangover and let down against a perceived easy opponent. The latter happens on The Plains, making this a four-quarter game that goes to the wire.
Eddie Timanus
The 2020 college football season was always going to be unusual. But the suboptimal early returns from Big 12 country that have effectively knocked the conference out of the playoff chase were nevertheless somewhat surprising.
But while the normally much-anticipated Red River showdown is not the top-10 clash we expected, it should still be fun. It probably won’t approach the level of wildness West Virginia and Baylor achieved in that 70-63 aerial show in 2012, but there are similarities. Simply put, it’s a battle of teams that like to throw the ball around but aren’t terribly good at pass defense. That has been a defining characteristic of the entire league, unfortunately for its national championship prospects, but at least we can be entertained.
So how will it go? The Longhorns have the more experienced signal caller in Ehlinger, and the Sooners’ inconsistent running game has contributed to their inability to protect double-digit leads in both their league losses. Logically, then, I should go with Texas.
But I’m not. My hunch is the game will come down to who does a better job eliminating mistakes, and I think that will be Oklahoma. Yes, the Sooners have dropped two in a row, but they won’t make it three.
Dan Wolken
It seems pretty crazy to pick against Clemson given that the last time the Tigers lost an ACC game was at Syracuse on Oct. 17, 2017. But all streaks are due to come to an end, and the reason Clemson will lose to Miami (Fla.) this weekend is simple: Energy. Clemson is a notoriously slow-starting team, and that has been evident even in the three victories the Tigers have posted this year. Dabo Swinney does not put the pedal to the metal for the first half of the season because he doesn't really have to, as Clemson is usually good enough to win playing its B-minus game. But the Tigers have also gotten a little lucky in those situations (avoiding overtime against Texas A&M in 2018, coming back against Syracuse in 2018 without Trevor Lawrence, stopping a winning two-point conversion against North Carolina last year). Eventually, that kind of luck runs out, and this feels like a circumstance when a resurgent Miami is going to play its best game and Clemson might still be a little lethargic. If that's the case, the Hurricanes are good enough to get the job done. The Tigers allowed 417 yards and 25 first downs to Virginia last week. With D'Eriq King at the helm, Miami is averaging 6.7 yards per play this season. If Clemson doesn't bring it like it's a playoff game, they'll get caught this weekend.


usatoday--2020-10-09--A grandson of 10th US president John Tyler, who took office in 1841, has died at 95

A grandson of 10th U.S. president John Tyler , who left office 175 years ago , died at age 95 last month , a historical anomaly of a family whose three generations span three centuries from the nascent United States to 2020 .
Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. , of Franklin , Tennessee , died Sept. 26 , according to an online obituary .
His daughter , Susan Selina Pope Tyler , told the New York Times he died of complications due to Alzheimer ’ s disease .
Tyler was born Jan. 3 , 1925 , more than 130 years after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 , 1790 .
Though Tyler never met his grandfather , who died in 1862 , he shared stories passed down through his family .
`` My great grandmother , the president 's mother , said that when ( John Tyler ) was a year old , he reached up to the sky toward a full moon .
She would say , ' I think that boy is going to be president of the United States .
He 's reaching for the sky , ' '' Tyler told a crowd in Williamson County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herald .
After growing up in Charles City County , Virginia , outside Richmond , Tyler enrolled in the College of William and Mary when he was 16 years old , his obituary says .
His father , the son of the president , served as the college 's 17th president from 1888 until 1919 .
His time at the school was interrupted , however , by World War II , and Tyler served as a naval officer in the Pacific , his obituary says .
He returned and completed his degree in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from University of Virginia .
Another historical shocker in 2020 : Last person to receive pension from Civil War , $ 73.13 monthly , dies at age 90 In the 1960s , Tyler was an assistant director on the Virginia Civil War Centennial Commission , `` hoping to unite the country rather than further divide it , '' his obituary says .
Tyler then pursued a career in history and teaching , earning a doctorate in history from Duke and later teaching at the Virginia Military Institute then The Citadel in South Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as U.S. president from 1841 to 1845 after William Henry Harrison died just weeks into his term as the ninth U.S. president .
Tyler had been added to the Whig Party ticket to sway Southern voters as a slave owner , according to the White House Historical Association .
His presidency faced criticism and controversy , however .
Tyler vetoed bills his party and predecessor approved , including the creation of a central bank .
His contemporaries referred to him as “ His Accidency , ” a jeer in reference to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and being the first vice president to assume office after a president 's death .
He also faced impeachment attempts .
Those introducing impeachment accused Tyler of `` the high crime and misdemeanor of endeavoring to excite a disorganizing and revolutionary spirit in the country , '' Smithsonian Magazine notes After leaving office , Tyler retreated to his Virginia plantation , according to the White House Historical Association .
He reentered public life before the outbreak of the Civil War when he served at the Peace Conference of 1861 but rejected the proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Confederacy but died in January 1862 .
A father of 15 , John Tyler had children in two marriages as his first wife , Letitia , died while he was in office .
His second wife , Julia , was the mother of the College of William and Mary president , Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. , although active in legal and historical studies , did not share the political ambitions of his grandfather .
He said at the 2010 event : `` Being a presidential descendent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't want to hear anymore about it , '' per the Williamson Herald .
He added that he was once asked by a woman , `` 'Little boy are you going to be president when you grow up ? '
'No .
I 'll bite your head off , ' I said .
Then she asked me , 'What would you do with the bones ? '
and I told her , ' I 'll spit 'em out . '
'' Tyler is survived by his daughter and brother , Harrison Ruffin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President John Tyler 's last living grandchild .

A grandson of 10th US president John Tyler, who took office in 1841, has died at 95
A grandson of 10th U.S. president John Tyler, who left office 175 years ago, died at age 95 last month, a historical anomaly of a family whose three generations span three centuries from the nascent United States to 2020.
Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr., of Franklin, Tennessee, died Sept. 26, according to an online obituary. His daughter, Susan Selina Pope Tyler, told the New York Times he died of complications due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Tyler was born Jan. 3, 1925, more than 130 years after his grandfather John Tyler was born March 29, 1790.
Though Tyler never met his grandfather, who died in 1862, he shared stories passed down through his family.
"My great grandmother, the president's mother, said that when (John Tyler) was a year old, he reached up to the sky toward a full moon. She would say, 'I think that boy is going to be president of the United States. He's reaching for the sky,'" Tyler told a crowd in Williamson County in 2010, according to the Williamson Herald.
After growing up in Charles City County, Virginia, outside Richmond, Tyler enrolled in the College of William and Mary when he was 16 years old, his obituary says. His father, the son of the president, served as the college's 17th president from 1888 until 1919.
His time at the school was interrupted, however, by World War II, and Tyler served as a naval officer in the Pacific, his obituary says. He returned and completed his degree in 1947 then later earned a law degree from University of Virginia.
Another historical shocker in 2020: Last person to receive pension from Civil War, $73.13 monthly, dies at age 90
In the 1960s, Tyler was an assistant director on the Virginia Civil War Centennial Commission, "hoping to unite the country rather than further divide it," his obituary says.
Tyler then pursued a career in history and teaching, earning a doctorate in history from Duke and later teaching at the Virginia Military Institute then The Citadel in South Carolina.
His grandfather, John Tyler, served as U.S. president from 1841 to 1845 after William Henry Harrison died just weeks into his term as the ninth U.S. president.
Tyler had been added to the Whig Party ticket to sway Southern voters as a slave owner, according to the White House Historical Association.
His presidency faced criticism and controversy, however. Tyler vetoed bills his party and predecessor approved, including the creation of a central bank.
His contemporaries referred to him as “His Accidency,” a jeer in reference to him taking over shortly after Harrison's inauguration and being the first vice president to assume office after a president's death.
He also faced impeachment attempts. Those introducing impeachment accused Tyler of "the high crime and misdemeanor of endeavoring to excite a disorganizing and revolutionary spirit in the country," Smithsonian Magazine notes
After leaving office, Tyler retreated to his Virginia plantation, according to the White House Historical Association. He reentered public life before the outbreak of the Civil War when he served at the Peace Conference of 1861 but rejected the proposals. He was also elected to office in the Confederacy but died in January 1862.
A father of 15, John Tyler had children in two marriages as his first wife, Letitia, died while he was in office. His second wife, Julia, was the mother of the College of William and Mary president, Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr.
Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr., although active in legal and historical studies, did not share the political ambitions of his grandfather. He said at the 2010 event: "Being a presidential descendent, even as a small boy, I didn't want to hear anymore about it," per the Williamson Herald.
He added that he was once asked by a woman, "'Little boy are you going to be president when you grow up?' 'No. I'll bite your head off,' I said. Then she asked me, 'What would you do with the bones?' and I told her, 'I'll spit 'em out.'"
Tyler is survived by his daughter and brother, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, also in his 90s, President John Tyler's last living grandchild.
Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller


usatoday--2020-10-09--A kidnap and murder plot targeted Gretchen Whitmer. It's no coincidence she's a woman.

Was it because she 's a woman ?
Of course it was .
This is a governor who had to fight for her place on the ticket .
Male Democrats lobbied until just months before the election to replace her with someone more electable , more accomplished , more male .
This is a governor whom Republican lawmakers raced to constrain after she handily won the 2018 election , passing laws that would limit her executive powers even before she was in a position to exercise them .
This is a governor whose first State of the State address made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but for the fit of her dress .
This is a governor who has been called `` emotional '' and `` batshit crazy '' by the men who lead the state Legislature .
This is what it is to be a woman in public life , and Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer has navigated these waters as well as any woman could , focusing on the tasks before her , ignoring most of her male detractors ' provocations , understanding that what she does now helps clear the path for the women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horror and degradation Plots like the one revealed Thursday may be underway in other states , just as the protests that that initially targeted Whitmer spread to other states and other governors .
But it 's no coincidence that Whitmer has become the first target of this hateful violence .
The revelation that a group of domestic terrorists planned to kidnap Whitmer and try her for treason , or simply murder her , feels shocking , a new level of degradation and horror when it seemed we 'd already plumbed rock bottom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Inevitable , almost .
The plot to kidnap and kill Whitmer began this summer .
The FBI says the men arrested planned to abduct the governor from her family 's northern Michigan vacation home , blow up a nearby bridge to delay police response , take her to Wisconsin , and put her `` on trial '' — or just shoot her at her front door .
Damage done : Trump 's Proud Boys debate shoutout energized the entire far right The members of this self-styled militia were incensed that Whitmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and extend a state of emergency in Michigan and issue a string of executive orders intended to contain the coronavirus pandemic .
The 1945 law she cited as authority for her orders had stood intact for 75 years until four Michigan Supreme Court justices decided last week that it delegated legislative power in violation of the state constitution .
Some of the men arrested in the plot participated in protests at the state Capitol earlier this summer ; at least one has been identified in a photograph of armed protesters in the gallery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's true that Whitmer moved aggressively in the COVID-19 pandemic , following the recommendations of the nation 's top public health officials .
And she 's been largely successful — in containing the virus and slowly re-opening Michigan ’ s economy .
Many other governors across the country have followed the same game plan ; Republican governors who initially scoffed at strict guidelines saw the virus and death toll mount in their states , and by the fall most had imposed tougher restrictions on businesses and public gatherings .
What I 'm saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not materially different than what governors across the nation , Democratic and Republican , have done .
But it 's Whitmer who has drawn homicidal rage .
A woman with too much power I 've read the criminal complaint .
The men who targeted Whitmer were serious .
An FBI informant recorded a series of meetings chronicling regular field exercises , the purchase of weapons , surveillance of the governor 's northern Michigan vacation home , increasing determination to act before the election , and a litany of threats and complaints that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : '' Knock on the door and when she answers it just cap her . ''
“ She f -- king goddamn loves the power she has right now.
” '' She has no checks and balances at all .
She has uncontrolled power right now.
” That , it seems , is the problem .
Whitmer 's critics have reveled in gendered insults , calling her a scolding schoolmarm or a nagging mother .
One Wayne County man who attended protests at the Capitol brandished a nude Barbie doll with its neck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsuccessful Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives , freely admitted to reporters that the doll represented Whitmer .
That a woman held such extraordinary power , for some , seems a bridge too far .
Tom Ridge : Unlike Trump , Republicans must strongly , fully denounce scourges of racism and white supremacy The connection between the alt right and misogyny is well-documented .
`` While it ’ s true that the movement is most frequently described in terms of the self-stated , explicit white supremacy that defines many of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the gateway drug that led them to join the alt-right in the first place wasn ’ t racist rhetoric but rather sexism , '' the online magazine Vox wrote in 2016 .
A 2018 Anti-Defamation League report exploring the link between misogyny and alt-right extremism , concluded that expressing hatred toward women is often a precursor to violent action — that wishing violence on women is wishing violence on humans .
For women , the threat of kidnapping is particularly visceral : Every few years , news breaks that an abducted woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held in prolonged captivity by a man willing to do anything to curtail her autonomy and deny her personhood .
What I keep coming back to is Whitmer , speaking to the press on Thursday , somber and composed , calmly explaining how a group of men hoped to hurt her , thanking the law enforcement officers who stopped them .
I wonder what it felt like to learn this plot existed .
I wonder how close they came , circling Whitmer 's vacation home in the dark of an up-north summer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nancy Kaffer is a member of the editorial board and a columnist at the Detroit Free Press , where this column first appeared .
Follow her on Twitter : @ nancykaffer

A kidnap and murder plot targeted Gretchen Whitmer. It's no coincidence she's a woman. To be a woman in public life is to get threats. But the kidnap and murder plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is a new level of horror.
Show Caption Hide Caption Gov. Whitmer denounces hate groups Detroit Free Press reporter Paul Egan interviews Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after she decried hatred and bigotry from her Capitol office Thursday in response to an alleged plot by domestic terrorists to kidnap her. Detroit Free Press
Was it because she's a woman?
Of course it was.
This is a governor who had to fight for her place on the ticket. Male Democrats lobbied until just months before the election to replace her with someone more electable, more accomplished, more male.
This is a governor whom Republican lawmakers raced to constrain after she handily won the 2018 election, passing laws that would limit her executive powers even before she was in a position to exercise them.
This is a governor whose first State of the State address made headlines not for the policies she proposed, but for the fit of her dress.
This is a governor who has been called "emotional" and "batshit crazy" by the men who lead the state Legislature.
This is what it is to be a woman in public life, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has navigated these waters as well as any woman could, focusing on the tasks before her, ignoring most of her male detractors' provocations, understanding that what she does now helps clear the path for the women who will follow.
New level of horror and degradation
Plots like the one revealed Thursday may be underway in other states, just as the protests that that initially targeted Whitmer spread to other states and other governors. But it's no coincidence that Whitmer has become the first target of this hateful violence.
The revelation that a group of domestic terrorists planned to kidnap Whitmer and try her for treason, or simply murder her, feels shocking, a new level of degradation and horror when it seemed we'd already plumbed rock bottom.
But there is also something familiar about it. Inevitable, almost.
The plot to kidnap and kill Whitmer began this summer. The FBI says the men arrested planned to abduct the governor from her family's northern Michigan vacation home, blow up a nearby bridge to delay police response, take her to Wisconsin, and put her "on trial" — or just shoot her at her front door.
Damage done: Trump's Proud Boys debate shoutout energized the entire far right
The members of this self-styled militia were incensed that Whitmer had used her executive authority to declare and extend a state of emergency in Michigan and issue a string of executive orders intended to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The 1945 law she cited as authority for her orders had stood intact for 75 years until four Michigan Supreme Court justices decided last week that it delegated legislative power in violation of the state constitution. Some of the men arrested in the plot participated in protests at the state Capitol earlier this summer; at least one has been identified in a photograph of armed protesters in the gallery overlooking the state Senate chambers.
It's true that Whitmer moved aggressively in the COVID-19 pandemic, following the recommendations of the nation's top public health officials. And she's been largely successful — in containing the virus and slowly re-opening Michigan’s economy. Many other governors across the country have followed the same game plan; Republican governors who initially scoffed at strict guidelines saw the virus and death toll mount in their states, and by the fall most had imposed tougher restrictions on businesses and public gatherings.
What I'm saying is that what Whitmer has done here is not materially different than what governors across the nation, Democratic and Republican, have done.
But it's Whitmer who has drawn homicidal rage.
A woman with too much power
I've read the criminal complaint. The men who targeted Whitmer were serious. An FBI informant recorded a series of meetings chronicling regular field exercises, the purchase of weapons, surveillance of the governor's northern Michigan vacation home, increasing determination to act before the election, and a litany of threats and complaints that centered on Whitmer's gender and authority:
"Tyrant bitch."
"Knock on the door and when she answers it just cap her."
"Grab the bitch."
“She f--king goddamn loves the power she has right now.”
"She has no checks and balances at all. She has uncontrolled power right now.”
That, it seems, is the problem.
Whitmer's critics have reveled in gendered insults, calling her a scolding schoolmarm or a nagging mother. One Wayne County man who attended protests at the Capitol brandished a nude Barbie doll with its neck in noose; the man, an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives, freely admitted to reporters that the doll represented Whitmer.
That a woman held such extraordinary power, for some, seems a bridge too far.
Tom Ridge: Unlike Trump, Republicans must strongly, fully denounce scourges of racism and white supremacy
The connection between the alt right and misogyny is well-documented.
"While it’s true that the movement is most frequently described in terms of the self-stated, explicit white supremacy that defines many of its corners, for many of its members, the gateway drug that led them to join the alt-right in the first place wasn’t racist rhetoric but rather sexism," the online magazine Vox wrote in 2016.
A 2018 Anti-Defamation League report exploring the link between misogyny and alt-right extremism, concluded that expressing hatred toward women is often a precursor to violent action — that wishing violence on women is wishing violence on humans.
For women, the threat of kidnapping is particularly visceral: Every few years, news breaks that an abducted woman has escaped some basement or attic, held in prolonged captivity by a man willing to do anything to curtail her autonomy and deny her personhood.
What I keep coming back to is Whitmer, speaking to the press on Thursday, somber and composed, calmly explaining how a group of men hoped to hurt her, thanking the law enforcement officers who stopped them. I wonder what it felt like to learn this plot existed. I wonder how close they came, circling Whitmer's vacation home in the dark of an up-north summer.
I wonder when it will stop.
Nancy Kaffer is a member of the editorial board and a columnist at the Detroit Free Press, where this column first appeared. Follow her on Twitter: @nancykaffer