talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Racist And QAnon-Related Statements From Candidate Put Spotlight On GA Runoff

DALLAS , Ga. ( AP ) — Marjorie Taylor Greene is running for Congress – and is unrepentant about her racist rhetoric and support for the QAnon conspiracy theory .
With the runoff for the Republican nomination in the conservative district approaching , some voters seem unaware of Greene ’ s controversial views , or shrug it off .
Greene received the most votes in the June 9 Republican primary for Georgia ’ s 14th Congressional District but failed to win outright .
She now faces fellow Republican John Cowan , a neurosurgeon , in a runoff election Tuesday for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which stretches from the outskirts of metro Atlanta to the largely rural northwest corner of the state , is heavily conservative , and the winner of the runoff will likely earn a ticket to Washington .
Greene often communicates with supporters through stream-of-consciousness style videos posted to social media .
Shortly after the initial primary , Politico revealed a series of videos where Greene , who is white , expresses racist , anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views .
In one of the videos she claims there ’ s an “ Islamic invasion ” into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Black and Hispanic men are being held back by “ gangs and dealing drugs , ” later adding , “ it ’ s not white people.
” She also has touted an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros , who is Jewish , collaborated with the Nazis .
Greene ’ s campaign did not respond to multiple interview requests from The Associated Press .
But she previously addressed the criticism on Twitter .
“ The Fake News Media , the DC Swamp , and their radical leftist allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I will not let them whip me into submission , ” she said without backing away from the remarks .
The unearthed videos led several high-profile Republicans to denounce her campaign .
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana released a statement calling Greene ’ s comments “ disgusting ” and threw his support behind Cowan .
Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia clawed back his endorsement of Greene , saying her statements are “ appalling and deeply troubling.
” But many other Republican officials have remained on the sidelines .
Greene is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates who have expressed support for QAnon , the far-right U.S. conspiracy theory popular among some supporters of President Donald Trump .
Lauren Boebert , another candidate who has expressed support for QAnon , recently upset a five-term congressman in a Republican primary in Colorado .
Cowan has expressed staunch support for Trump , touting a pro-gun and pro-border wall message .
He says he ’ ll use his experience as a doctor to improve the health care system and will push to repeal the Affordable Care Act , though he supports keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also strongly pushed back on Greene ’ s rhetoric .
“ She loves saying inflammatory , incendiary things to get attention and to get likes and to make news , but then when she ’ s questioned about it , she just folds , ” Cowan said in an interview .
“ You can ’ t challenge anything she ’ s said without being accused of being part of the ‘ swamp ’ or ‘ fake news . '
” While Greene ’ s comments have caused a stir in Washington , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by them while casting ballots during early voting .
Kris Young , who voted for Greene at a polling site in Dallas , Georgia , on Thursday , said he hadn ’ t heard the criticism .
“ I don ’ t even know if I ’ d buy into that , ” Young said .
“ She ’ s just pro-American is what I see.
” Larry Silker , a 72-year-old retiree who cast a ballot at the same location , said he saw Greene as a “ go-getter ” and voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s racist remarks didn ’ t dissuade him .
“ Well yeah , you know , you see it , ” he said .
“ But do you put faith in it ?
” There were critics of Greene voting as well .
“ Don ’ t like her .
Don ’ t care for some of the things I ’ ve read about her and heard about her , ” said Gene Melton , a 53-year-old truck driver .
Kerwin Swint , director of the School of Government and International Affairs at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appealed to many conservatives who want a firebrand in the seat , but that her chances of winning have been complicated as more information comes to light .
“ She is not just a conservative , she is literally on the fringe of some very troubling beliefs , ” Swint said .
“ This is the kind of candidate that a lot of Republicans , and really I ’ m talking about Republican officials who are elected and appointed , sort of cringe when they hear what she says or they look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Greene has also expressed strong views on the removal of Confederate monuments .
“ Whether I see a statue that may be something I would fully disagree with , like Adolf Hitler , maybe a statue of Satan himself , I would not want to say , ‘ take it down , ’ ” Greene said at a city council meeting in Dalton , Georgia , in mid-June .
“ But again , it ’ s so that I could tell my children and teach others about who these people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they may be about .
”

DALLAS, Ga. (AP) — Marjorie Taylor Greene is running for Congress – and is unrepentant about her racist rhetoric and support for the QAnon conspiracy theory.
With the runoff for the Republican nomination in the conservative district approaching, some voters seem unaware of Greene’s controversial views, or shrug it off.
Greene received the most votes in the June 9 Republican primary for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District but failed to win outright. She now faces fellow Republican John Cowan, a neurosurgeon, in a runoff election Tuesday for the open seat.
The district, which stretches from the outskirts of metro Atlanta to the largely rural northwest corner of the state, is heavily conservative, and the winner of the runoff will likely earn a ticket to Washington.
Greene often communicates with supporters through stream-of-consciousness style videos posted to social media.
Shortly after the initial primary, Politico revealed a series of videos where Greene, who is white, expresses racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views. In one of the videos she claims there’s an “Islamic invasion” into government offices. In another, she says Black and Hispanic men are being held back by “gangs and dealing drugs,” later adding, “it’s not white people.” She also has touted an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros, who is Jewish, collaborated with the Nazis.
Greene’s campaign did not respond to multiple interview requests from The Associated Press. But she previously addressed the criticism on Twitter. “The Fake News Media, the DC Swamp, and their radical leftist allies see me as a very serious threat. I will not let them whip me into submission,” she said without backing away from the remarks.
The unearthed videos led several high-profile Republicans to denounce her campaign. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana released a statement calling Greene’s comments “disgusting” and threw his support behind Cowan. Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia clawed back his endorsement of Greene, saying her statements are “appalling and deeply troubling.”
But many other Republican officials have remained on the sidelines.
Greene is also part of a growing list of candidates who have expressed support for QAnon, the far-right U.S. conspiracy theory popular among some supporters of President Donald Trump. Lauren Boebert, another candidate who has expressed support for QAnon, recently upset a five-term congressman in a Republican primary in Colorado.
Cowan has expressed staunch support for Trump, touting a pro-gun and pro-border wall message. He says he’ll use his experience as a doctor to improve the health care system and will push to repeal the Affordable Care Act, though he supports keeping protections for pre-existing conditions.
He has also strongly pushed back on Greene’s rhetoric.
“She loves saying inflammatory, incendiary things to get attention and to get likes and to make news, but then when she’s questioned about it, she just folds,” Cowan said in an interview. “You can’t challenge anything she’s said without being accused of being part of the ‘swamp’ or ‘fake news.'”
While Greene’s comments have caused a stir in Washington, some in her district seemed unaware or unfazed by them while casting ballots during early voting.
Kris Young, who voted for Greene at a polling site in Dallas, Georgia, on Thursday, said he hadn’t heard the criticism.
“I don’t even know if I’d buy into that,” Young said. “She’s just pro-American is what I see.”
Larry Silker, a 72-year-old retiree who cast a ballot at the same location, said he saw Greene as a “go-getter” and voted for her. Reports of Greene’s racist remarks didn’t dissuade him.
“Well yeah, you know, you see it,” he said. “But do you put faith in it?”
There were critics of Greene voting as well.
“Don’t like her. Don’t care for some of the things I’ve read about her and heard about her,” said Gene Melton, a 53-year-old truck driver.
Kerwin Swint, director of the School of Government and International Affairs at Kennesaw State University, said Greene initially appealed to many conservatives who want a firebrand in the seat, but that her chances of winning have been complicated as more information comes to light.
“She is not just a conservative, she is literally on the fringe of some very troubling beliefs,” Swint said.
“This is the kind of candidate that a lot of Republicans, and really I’m talking about Republican officials who are elected and appointed, sort of cringe when they hear what she says or they look at what she believes in,” he said.
Greene has also expressed strong views on the removal of Confederate monuments.
“Whether I see a statue that may be something I would fully disagree with, like Adolf Hitler, maybe a statue of Satan himself, I would not want to say, ‘take it down,’” Greene said at a city council meeting in Dalton, Georgia, in mid-June. “But again, it’s so that I could tell my children and teach others about who these people are, what they did, and what they may be about.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Trump Briefly Ushered Out Of Presser By Secret Service After Shots Fired Near WH

President Donald Trump on Monday was quickly ushered out of a press briefing by a Secret Service agent .
He @ @ @ @ @ and said there had been a shooting outside the White House .
“ Somebody ’ @ @ @ @ @ hospital , ” Trump said , thanking the Secret Service and adding that he believed @ @ @ @ @ the person .
“ The suspect is now on the way to the hospital , @ @ @ @ @ “ I can ’ t tell you the condition of the suspect.
” Fox News @ @ @ @ @ from the briefing room a few moments before , said that shots had been fired @ @ @ @ @ that the Secret Service was in the process of “ rendering aid to someone who @ @ @ @ @ half-hour later , the Secret Service confirmed that there had been “ an officer involved @ @ @ @ @ a male subject and a Secret Service officer had been transported to the hospital .
@ @ @ @ @ .

President Donald Trump on Monday was quickly ushered out of a press briefing by a Secret Service agent. He returned a few minutes later and said there had been a shooting outside the White House.
? Trump abruptly walked away from the podium after an aide approached and whispered something to him, ending his news conference after just a couple minutes ? pic.twitter.com/VBZWooa1CY — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 10, 2020
“Somebody’s been taken to the hospital,” Trump said, thanking the Secret Service and adding that he believed law enforcement had shot at the person.
“The suspect is now on the way to the hospital,” he said later. “I can’t tell you the condition of the suspect.”
Fox News’ John Roberts, reporting from the briefing room a few moments before, said that shots had been fired nearby the White House and that the Secret Service was in the process of “rendering aid to someone who was hit.”
Around a half-hour later, the Secret Service confirmed that there had been “an officer involved shooting” and that both a male subject and a Secret Service officer had been transported to the hospital.
The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow. — U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) August 10, 2020
Update: the investigation into a USSS officer involved shooting is ongoing. A male subject and a USSS officer were both transported to a local hospital. At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger. — U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) August 10, 2020
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Sasse Posts Interoffice-Like Memo To Defend His Criticism Of Trump’s Executive Actions

Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) on Monday afternoon issued an interoffice memo-like response to President Trump accusing him of having “ gone rogue , again ” earlier in the day .
On Monday morning , the President scorned Sasse in a tweet days after the Nebraska senator characterized the flurry of his executive actions over the weekend as “ unconstitutional slop.
” Sasse ’ s reaction to Trump ’ s move — which came after Democrats and the White House failed to reach a deal on a new COVID-19 relief package last week — joined the chorus of criticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argue that the President exercised executive overreach with his actions .
Sasse addressed Trump ’ s scorn against him in a tweet posted by his re-election campaign later Monday , which includes a screenshot of an interoffice-like memo listing five points on why he continues to stand by his sharp rebuke of the President ’ s executive actions .
In defending his stance against Trump ’ s executive actions , amid a stalemate between Democrats and the White House on a new COVID-19 relief package , Sasse denied that his disagreements are personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to the President ’ s grievances against him due to their conversation being moved from “ private to public.
” Last year , Trump threw a “ total endorsement ” behind the Nebraska senator in his bid for re-election .
Sasse has since become known as one of the few Republicans on Capitol Hill willing to criticize the President .

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) on Monday afternoon issued an interoffice memo-like response to President Trump accusing him of having “gone rogue, again” earlier in the day.
On Monday morning, the President scorned Sasse in a tweet days after the Nebraska senator characterized the flurry of his executive actions over the weekend as “unconstitutional slop.” Sasse’s reaction to Trump’s move — which came after Democrats and the White House failed to reach a deal on a new COVID-19 relief package last week — joined the chorus of criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans who argue that the President exercised executive overreach with his actions.
RINO Ben Sasse, who needed my support and endorsement in order to get the Republican nomination for Senate from the GREAT State of Nebraska, has, now that he’s got it (Thank you President T), gone rogue, again. This foolishness plays right into the hands of the Radical Left Dems! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020
Sasse addressed Trump’s scorn against him in a tweet posted by his re-election campaign later Monday, which includes a screenshot of an interoffice-like memo listing five points on why he continues to stand by his sharp rebuke of the President’s executive actions.
In defending his stance against Trump’s executive actions, amid a stalemate between Democrats and the White House on a new COVID-19 relief package, Sasse denied that his disagreements are personal and said he decided to tweet his response to the President’s grievances against him due to their conversation being moved from “private to public.”
Mr. President-
I understand that you’re mad. A few thoughts….
⁰⁰(1) As we’ve discussed before, I don’t think Twitter is the best place to do this. But, since you moved our conversation from private to public, here we are.
(2)…https://t.co/AYF2ApdRR2 pic.twitter.com/2rtiPuhJJB — Team Sasse (@TeamSasse) August 10, 2020
Last year, Trump threw a “total endorsement” behind the Nebraska senator in his bid for re-election. Sasse has since become known as one of the few Republicans on Capitol Hill willing to criticize the President.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--ICE Is Making Sure Migrant Kids Don’t Have COVID-19—Then Expelling Them to ‘Prevent the Spread’ of C

ICE Is Making Sure Migrant Kids Don’t Have COVID-19—Then Expelling Them to ‘Prevent the Spread’ of COVID-19

This article first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
Since March , the Trump administration has pushed thousands of migrant children back to their home countries without legal screenings or protection , citing the risk that they could be carrying COVID-19 into the United States .
But by the time the children are boarded on planes home , they ’ ve already been tested for the virus — and proven not to have it .
Court documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Customs Enforcement to congressional staff last week , reveal that the Trump administration has agreed to test every child in its custody before sending them back to their home countries under the expulsion policy .
ICE ’ s comprehensive testing appears to undermine the rationale for the mass expulsion policy : that it is necessary to “ prevent the introduction ” of COVID-19 into the United States .
The Trump administration has argued that , because of the pandemic , it must circumvent protections built into immigration law for migrant children , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Health and Human Services ( and ultimately to sponsors in the U.S. ) and given a chance to seek asylum .
Administration officials have said that they can ’ t risk that infected children would spread COVID-19 through the system .
Yet even after children test negative for the virus , they aren ’ t being allowed to access the usual protections .
The Trump administration has cited sections 265 and 268 of Title 42 of the U.S. Code , which allows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing that might introduce a disease into the United States .
Citing that law , in March the CDC began barring the entry of anyone crossing into the U.S. without papers .
“ The Trump administration ’ s claim that they need to summarily expel children because of COVID was always a pretext , ” Lee Gelernt of the ACLU , who has represented children in lawsuits challenging the expulsion policy , told ProPublica .
“ If they are now actually testing and know the children do not have COVID , then the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A court report filed in July noted that “ virtually all ” children in ICE custody were being tested for COVID-19 before expulsion , as a condition of “ testing requirements ” imposed by their home countries .
In congressional briefings last week , recounted to ProPublica by multiple staff members who attended , ICE clarified what those “ testing requirements ” were .
The U.S. has agreements with 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to return unaccompanied children under the public health order .
All those agreements , ICE told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for COVID-19 before being sent back .
“ All single minors expelled from the U.S. under Title 42 authority are done so under informal agreements which remain fluid between the U.S. and the foreign governments , ” an ICE spokesperson told ProPublica .
“ There are informal agreements in place with some countries which require testing for COVID-19 prior to expulsion.
” Asked specifically about its claim to Congress that all countries agreeing to accept children required testing , and whether that was at odds with the stated rationale for the expulsion policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ pending litigation.
” Under the new policy , most adult migrants are being pushed back to Mexico within a matter of hours .
To apply the expulsion order to children , however , the administration has developed an ad hoc system in which children are held for days in hotels , with little contact with the outside world — making it almost impossible for lawyers or advocates to locate them — before being returned to the countries from which they fled .
Thousands of children have been expelled since the policy was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to overcrowded government shelters in Central American countries like Guatemala ; others are totally out of reach of legal service providers , who have not been able to find them .
Under U.S. immigration law , unaccompanied migrant children who arrive without papers are supposed to be put in the custody of HHS , which can place them with a sponsor ( usually a relative ) while they await a hearing before a judge to determine if they qualify for immigration status .
The Trump administration has claimed that it ’ s too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HHS during a pandemic .
Acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan argued during an Aug. 6 press briefing that “ if we introduce these individuals to ORR ” — the Office of Refugee Resettlement , which is the HHS office responsible for migrant children — “ we ’ re defeating the entire purpose of Title 42 , we ’ re still introducing these individuals into our system throughout and creating a greater exposure risk to the American people.
” But on July 22 , an independent court report filed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care of children in immigration custody , noted that “ virtually all individuals in hotels awaiting ICE deportation flights will be tested for COVID-19 prior to deportation to comply with testing requirements imposed by the home countries for returning deportees.
” ( The Trump administration stresses that “ deportation ” is a term from immigration law , and that , since migrants subject to the CDC order aren ’ t being processed under immigration law , what ’ s happening to them isn ’ t technically deportation .
However , the court report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refer to public-health expulsions as well . )
In most cases , ICE is satisfying this requirement by using rapid COVID-19 tests produced by Abbott Laboratories that can produce results in as little as 15 minutes .
While Abbott ’ s rapid tests have come under scrutiny for a high rate of false-negative results , they continue to be used by the Trump administration .
However , at least one country — Guatemala — requires that the U.S. government obtain COVID-19 test results from a lab , a process that can take four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear exactly when the testing requirements went into effect .
The court report refers to them as “ recently imposed.
” A Guatemalan official recently told Reuters that only a few of the children who have been returned to Guatemala under the policy have documentation proving they ’ ve tested negative for COVID-19 .
It ’ s not clear whether this means ICE is violating the terms of its agreement with Guatemala to test children , or if these children weren ’ t subject to that agreement .
Anaeli Torres of Guatemala ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it isn ’ t always known to the agency whether a child has been deported under immigration law or expelled under the public health order when they arrive in Guatemala from the U.S .
Since the spring , ICE has been accused of helping spread COVID-19 through Central America and the Caribbean by deporting people who had caught the coronavirus in immigration detention facilities .
ICE has denied this , asserting that all detainees are tested for COVID-19 before being deported .
But people expelled under the public health law are not being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlike deportees who are removed from the U.S. because they are found to have violated immigration law , migrants expelled under the public health policy have had no legal due process .
They are being barred from the U.S. purely because they might have the coronavirus and might spread it to others .
The CDC ’ s original order banning the “ introduction ” of migrants , from March , assumed that it would be impossible to test migrants for COVID-19 .
That was key to its rationale for barring their entry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ health risks , CBP would have to transport aliens in their custody suspected of COVID-19 infection to a nearby medical site for sample collection and testing , and then implement containment protocols ( i.e .
quarantine or isolation ) in their facilities while awaiting test results , ” the order said .
“ CDC would not have the resources or personnel required to house in quarantine or isolation or monitor dozens , much less hundreds or thousands of aliens.
” In the months since , however , ICE has created an ad hoc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held in hotels , often for several days or even weeks , are prevented from leaving their rooms and have limited outside contact .
Ironically , migrants who test positive for COVID-19 are required to remain in the U.S. , while those who test negative are expelled .
It ’ s not clear if any unaccompanied children have tested positive for coronavirus while in ICE custody .
At least one migrant family housed in a San Antonio hotel tested positive while awaiting expulsion .
The family was sent to an ICE detention center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are supposed to happen within 72 hours , the administration has frequently held children in hotels for longer than that when preparing to expel them .
The court report noted that testing requirements often prolonged their stays in the U.S. since results can take several days to process .
Rapid testing eliminates that concern , but ICE did not explain in its congressional briefing , or at any other time , why it can not send children to HHS once they have tested negative .

This article first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Since March, the Trump administration has pushed thousands of migrant children back to their home countries without legal screenings or protection, citing the risk that they could be carrying COVID-19 into the United States.
But by the time the children are boarded on planes home, they’ve already been tested for the virus — and proven not to have it.
Court documents, and information given by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to congressional staff last week, reveal that the Trump administration has agreed to test every child in its custody before sending them back to their home countries under the expulsion policy.
ICE’s comprehensive testing appears to undermine the rationale for the mass expulsion policy: that it is necessary to “prevent the introduction” of COVID-19 into the United States.
The Trump administration has argued that, because of the pandemic, it must circumvent protections built into immigration law for migrant children, which dictate they should be turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services (and ultimately to sponsors in the U.S.) and given a chance to seek asylum. Administration officials have said that they can’t risk that infected children would spread COVID-19 through the system. Yet even after children test negative for the virus, they aren’t being allowed to access the usual protections.
The Trump administration has cited sections 265 and 268 of Title 42 of the U.S. Code, which allows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to order the exclusion of any person or thing that might introduce a disease into the United States. Citing that law, in March the CDC began barring the entry of anyone crossing into the U.S. without papers.
“The Trump administration’s claim that they need to summarily expel children because of COVID was always a pretext,” Lee Gelernt of the ACLU, who has represented children in lawsuits challenging the expulsion policy, told ProPublica. “If they are now actually testing and know the children do not have COVID, then the policy is that much more unjustified.”
A court report filed in July noted that “virtually all” children in ICE custody were being tested for COVID-19 before expulsion, as a condition of “testing requirements” imposed by their home countries. In congressional briefings last week, recounted to ProPublica by multiple staff members who attended, ICE clarified what those “testing requirements” were.
The U.S. has agreements with 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to return unaccompanied children under the public health order. All those agreements, ICE told Congress, require that children test negative for COVID-19 before being sent back.
“All single minors expelled from the U.S. under Title 42 authority are done so under informal agreements which remain fluid between the U.S. and the foreign governments,” an ICE spokesperson told ProPublica. “There are informal agreements in place with some countries which require testing for COVID-19 prior to expulsion.” Asked specifically about its claim to Congress that all countries agreeing to accept children required testing, and whether that was at odds with the stated rationale for the expulsion policy, ICE declined to clarify, citing “pending litigation.”
Under the new policy, most adult migrants are being pushed back to Mexico within a matter of hours. To apply the expulsion order to children, however, the administration has developed an ad hoc system in which children are held for days in hotels, with little contact with the outside world — making it almost impossible for lawyers or advocates to locate them — before being returned to the countries from which they fled.
Thousands of children have been expelled since the policy was enacted in March. Some are sent to overcrowded government shelters in Central American countries like Guatemala; others are totally out of reach of legal service providers, who have not been able to find them.
Under U.S. immigration law, unaccompanied migrant children who arrive without papers are supposed to be put in the custody of HHS, which can place them with a sponsor (usually a relative) while they await a hearing before a judge to determine if they qualify for immigration status. The Trump administration has claimed that it’s too dangerous to continue sending these children to HHS during a pandemic.
Acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan argued during an Aug. 6 press briefing that “if we introduce these individuals to ORR” — the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is the HHS office responsible for migrant children — “we’re defeating the entire purpose of Title 42, we’re still introducing these individuals into our system throughout and creating a greater exposure risk to the American people.”
But on July 22, an independent court report filed in the Flores litigation, which governs the care of children in immigration custody, noted that “virtually all individuals in hotels awaiting ICE deportation flights will be tested for COVID-19 prior to deportation to comply with testing requirements imposed by the home countries for returning deportees.” (The Trump administration stresses that “deportation” is a term from immigration law, and that, since migrants subject to the CDC order aren’t being processed under immigration law, what’s happening to them isn’t technically deportation. However, the court report used the term “deportation” to refer to public-health expulsions as well.)
In most cases, ICE is satisfying this requirement by using rapid COVID-19 tests produced by Abbott Laboratories that can produce results in as little as 15 minutes. While Abbott’s rapid tests have come under scrutiny for a high rate of false-negative results, they continue to be used by the Trump administration. However, at least one country — Guatemala — requires that the U.S. government obtain COVID-19 test results from a lab, a process that can take four to five days.
It is not clear exactly when the testing requirements went into effect. The court report refers to them as “recently imposed.” A Guatemalan official recently told Reuters that only a few of the children who have been returned to Guatemala under the policy have documentation proving they’ve tested negative for COVID-19. It’s not clear whether this means ICE is violating the terms of its agreement with Guatemala to test children, or if these children weren’t subject to that agreement. Anaeli Torres of Guatemala’s social welfare agency told ProPublica that it isn’t always known to the agency whether a child has been deported under immigration law or expelled under the public health order when they arrive in Guatemala from the U.S.
Since the spring, ICE has been accused of helping spread COVID-19 through Central America and the Caribbean by deporting people who had caught the coronavirus in immigration detention facilities. ICE has denied this, asserting that all detainees are tested for COVID-19 before being deported.
But people expelled under the public health law are not being put in ICE detention. Further, unlike deportees who are removed from the U.S. because they are found to have violated immigration law, migrants expelled under the public health policy have had no legal due process. They are being barred from the U.S. purely because they might have the coronavirus and might spread it to others.
The CDC’s original order banning the “introduction” of migrants, from March, assumed that it would be impossible to test migrants for COVID-19. That was key to its rationale for barring their entry. “In theory, to mitigate public health risks, CBP would have to transport aliens in their custody suspected of COVID-19 infection to a nearby medical site for sample collection and testing, and then implement containment protocols (i.e. quarantine or isolation) in their facilities while awaiting test results,” the order said. “CDC would not have the resources or personnel required to house in quarantine or isolation or monitor dozens, much less hundreds or thousands of aliens.”
In the months since, however, ICE has created an ad hoc system of quarantine and isolation. Migrants held in hotels, often for several days or even weeks, are prevented from leaving their rooms and have limited outside contact.
Ironically, migrants who test positive for COVID-19 are required to remain in the U.S., while those who test negative are expelled. It’s not clear if any unaccompanied children have tested positive for coronavirus while in ICE custody. At least one migrant family housed in a San Antonio hotel tested positive while awaiting expulsion. The family was sent to an ICE detention center to recover.
While referrals to HHS are supposed to happen within 72 hours, the administration has frequently held children in hotels for longer than that when preparing to expel them. The court report noted that testing requirements often prolonged their stays in the U.S. since results can take several days to process.
Rapid testing eliminates that concern, but ICE did not explain in its congressional briefing, or at any other time, why it cannot send children to HHS once they have tested negative.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Trump Floats Idea Of Accepting Nomination At WH Or Gettysburg

President Trump on Monday said that he will deliver his Republican presidential nomination speech in either the Gettysburg battlefield or the White House .
In a Monday tweet , Trump said that an announcement will come soon on the final decision .
The President said last week that he would “ probably ” give his acceptance speech from the White House , which was met with pushback from even some Republicans over the legality of the move .
The President ’ s tweet comes just two weeks before the Republican National Convention is scheduled to kick off .
Trump called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month amid surging cases of the coronavirus nationwide .
Trump had moved the RNC to Jacksonville , Florida after North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper ( D ) required social distancing and masks if it were to be held at its original location of Charlotte , North Carolina .
Trump narrowing down the locale of his acceptance speech to include the Gettysburg battlefield has raised brows , given that he has turned his Twitter account into a racist bullhorn recently — tweeting late last month that “ people living their Suburban Lifestyle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with low income housing in their neighborhood — as well as expressing his vehement opposition to renaming military bases paying tribute to Confederate generals .
However , Trump ’ s consideration of delivering his speech in Gettysburg isn ’ t exactly a brand new idea — the then-presidential nominee gave a speech there in October 2016 to tout his plans for his first 100 days in office .

President Trump on Monday said that he will deliver his Republican presidential nomination speech in either the Gettysburg battlefield or the White House.
In a Monday tweet, Trump said that an announcement will come soon on the final decision. The President said last week that he would “probably” give his acceptance speech from the White House, which was met with pushback from even some Republicans over the legality of the move.
We have narrowed the Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech, to be delivered on the final night of the Convention (Thursday), to two locations – The Great Battlefield of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and the White House, Washington, D.C. We will announce the decision soon! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020
The President’s tweet comes just two weeks before the Republican National Convention is scheduled to kick off. Trump called off the in-person RNC gathering altogether late last month amid surging cases of the coronavirus nationwide. Trump had moved the RNC to Jacksonville, Florida after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) required social distancing and masks if it were to be held at its original location of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Trump narrowing down the locale of his acceptance speech to include the Gettysburg battlefield has raised brows, given that he has turned his Twitter account into a racist bullhorn recently — tweeting late last month that “people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream” would no longer have to deal with low income housing in their neighborhood — as well as expressing his vehement opposition to renaming military bases paying tribute to Confederate generals.
However, Trump’s consideration of delivering his speech in Gettysburg isn’t exactly a brand new idea — the then-presidential nominee gave a speech there in October 2016 to tout his plans for his first 100 days in office.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Puerto Ricans, Upset At Botched Primary, Demand Answers

SAN JUAN , Puerto Rico ( AP ) — The future of Puerto Rico ’ s botched primaries rested in the hands of a judge on Monday as answers trickled out on why voting centers lacked ballots and forced officials to reschedule part of the primaries in a blow to the U.S. territory ’ s democracy .
A plan to hold another primary on Aug. 16 for centers that could not open on Sunday could change depending on the ruling of a lawsuit filed by Pedro Pierluisi , who is running against Gov .
Wanda Vázquez to become the potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , María Dolores Santiago , the party ’ s electoral commission official , told The Associated Press that key officials knew about the problems leading up to the primary on Sunday , but nobody did anything to stop it .
She said the last of the remaining ballots arrived Saturday at 8:30 p.m. , days behind schedule , and that trucks loaded with the ballots and electronic voting machines didn ’ t leave until Sunday , the day of the primary , when normally they depart one or two days beforehand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including why she didn ’ t personally suggest that the primaries be delayed during Saturday ’ s meeting with the president of the electoral commission .
She only said that at the time , the general agreement was to go ahead and hold the primary .
“ Maybe other decisions should have been taken , but we have to work with reality , ” she said .
“ It ’ s unfair to throw around blame.
” Gov .
Wanda Vázquez and other top officials from the island ’ s two main parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections commission resign after a lack of ballots meant people were only able to vote in nearly 60 of 110 precincts on Sunday .
Carlos Méndez , president of the island ’ s House of Representatives , also demanded that the commission release the results of the completed votes .
It was the first time primaries have been halted and led many to worry that it has cracked Puerto Ricans ’ confidence in their government and could affect the outcome of upcoming November general elections on an island with a voter participation rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scar will never leave Puerto Rico , ” said political analyst Domingo Emanuelli .
“ It was a hold-up of the country ’ s democracy.
” Juan Ernesto Dávila , president of the election commission , told WAPA TV on Monday that he thought the ballots would go out in time and that the electoral commission officials of the two main parties he met with a day before the primaries never mentioned the possibility of delaying them .
He also said it wouldn ’ t be responsible to resign amid an ongoing primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I will analyze that , ” he said .
The primary pits two candidates who served as replacement governors following last year ’ s political turmoil .
Vázquez faces Pierluisi , who represented Puerto Rico in Congress from 2009 to 2017 .
Pierluisi briefly served as governor after Gov .
Ricardo Rosselló resigned in August 2019 following widespread street protests over a profanity-laced chat that was leaked and government corruption .
But Puerto Rico ’ s Supreme Court ruled that Vázquez , then the justice secretary , was constitutionally next in line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , the main opposition Popular Democratic Party , which supports Puerto Rico ’ s current political status as a U.S. territory , was holding a primary for the first time in its 82-year history .
Three people are vying to become governor — San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz , known for her public spats with U.S. President Donald Trump following the devastation of Hurricane Maria ; Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia ; and Carlos Delgado , mayor of the northwest coastal town of Isabela .
A federal control board that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusations that the electoral commission did not have enough funding , saying it approved all of its funding requests .
“ The disruptions … are the result ( of ) inefficient organization at an agency that only two weeks ago struggled to procure the printing of ballots for an election that was originally supposed to take place on June 7 , ” the board said in a statement .
“ The State Elections Commission has sufficient money , and it has the more than enough staff to perform the one task it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be further disrupted by additional lawsuits , experts say .
Edgardo Román , president of the Bar Association of Puerto Rico , said the situation is in a legally gray area .
A new date has to be set for those who didn ’ t get a chance to vote because the ballots never arrived , he said , but it ’ s less clear what will happen to those who didn ’ t return to centers to vote because they didn ’ t find out in time that the ballots eventually arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ We have had the worse electoral experience in the history of Puerto Rico.
” The political upheaval was demoralizing to some , but Gireliz Zambrana , a 31-year-old federal employee who didn ’ t get a chance to vote on Sunday , said he would try again on Aug. 16 even though he is frustrated and said what happened is irrational .
He stressed that Puerto Rico ’ s situation had to change : the island is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria and a series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 13-year economic recession .
“ One has to go out and vote , ” he said .
“ The only way to fix all of this is kicking people out .
”

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The future of Puerto Rico’s botched primaries rested in the hands of a judge on Monday as answers trickled out on why voting centers lacked ballots and forced officials to reschedule part of the primaries in a blow to the U.S. territory’s democracy.
A plan to hold another primary on Aug. 16 for centers that could not open on Sunday could change depending on the ruling of a lawsuit filed by Pedro Pierluisi, who is running against Gov. Wanda Vázquez to become the potential nominee of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party.
Meanwhile, María Dolores Santiago, the party’s electoral commission official, told The Associated Press that key officials knew about the problems leading up to the primary on Sunday, but nobody did anything to stop it. She said the last of the remaining ballots arrived Saturday at 8:30 p.m., days behind schedule, and that trucks loaded with the ballots and electronic voting machines didn’t leave until Sunday, the day of the primary, when normally they depart one or two days beforehand.
Santiago repeatedly refused to answer questions including why she didn’t personally suggest that the primaries be delayed during Saturday’s meeting with the president of the electoral commission. She only said that at the time, the general agreement was to go ahead and hold the primary.
“Maybe other decisions should have been taken, but we have to work with reality,” she said. “It’s unfair to throw around blame.”
Gov. Wanda Vázquez and other top officials from the island’s two main parties have demanded that the president of the elections commission resign after a lack of ballots meant people were only able to vote in nearly 60 of 110 precincts on Sunday. Carlos Méndez, president of the island’s House of Representatives, also demanded that the commission release the results of the completed votes.
It was the first time primaries have been halted and led many to worry that it has cracked Puerto Ricans’ confidence in their government and could affect the outcome of upcoming November general elections on an island with a voter participation rate of nearly 70%.
“That scar will never leave Puerto Rico,” said political analyst Domingo Emanuelli. “It was a hold-up of the country’s democracy.”
Juan Ernesto Dávila, president of the election commission, told WAPA TV on Monday that he thought the ballots would go out in time and that the electoral commission officials of the two main parties he met with a day before the primaries never mentioned the possibility of delaying them. He also said it wouldn’t be responsible to resign amid an ongoing primary.
“Once the primary process concludes, I will analyze that,” he said.
The primary pits two candidates who served as replacement governors following last year’s political turmoil. Vázquez faces Pierluisi, who represented Puerto Rico in Congress from 2009 to 2017.
Pierluisi briefly served as governor after Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resigned in August 2019 following widespread street protests over a profanity-laced chat that was leaked and government corruption. But Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court ruled that Vázquez, then the justice secretary, was constitutionally next in line because there was no secretary of state.
Meanwhile, the main opposition Popular Democratic Party, which supports Puerto Rico’s current political status as a U.S. territory, was holding a primary for the first time in its 82-year history. Three people are vying to become governor — San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, known for her public spats with U.S. President Donald Trump following the devastation of Hurricane Maria; Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia; and Carlos Delgado, mayor of the northwest coastal town of Isabela.
A federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s finances dismissed accusations that the electoral commission did not have enough funding, saying it approved all of its funding requests.
“The disruptions … are the result (of) inefficient organization at an agency that only two weeks ago struggled to procure the printing of ballots for an election that was originally supposed to take place on June 7,” the board said in a statement. “The State Elections Commission has sufficient money, and it has the more than enough staff to perform the one task it is charged with.”
The ongoing chaos could be further disrupted by additional lawsuits, experts say.
Edgardo Román, president of the Bar Association of Puerto Rico, said the situation is in a legally gray area. A new date has to be set for those who didn’t get a chance to vote because the ballots never arrived, he said, but it’s less clear what will happen to those who didn’t return to centers to vote because they didn’t find out in time that the ballots eventually arrived.
“Everything has been rather abrupt,” he said. “We have had the worse electoral experience in the history of Puerto Rico.”
The political upheaval was demoralizing to some, but Gireliz Zambrana, a 31-year-old federal employee who didn’t get a chance to vote on Sunday, said he would try again on Aug. 16 even though he is frustrated and said what happened is irrational.
He stressed that Puerto Rico’s situation had to change: the island is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria and a series of strong earthquakes amid a pandemic and a 13-year economic recession.
“One has to go out and vote,” he said. “The only way to fix all of this is kicking people out.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Trump Goes After Sasse After He Decries Executive Actions As ‘Unconstitutional Slop’

President Trump took to Twitter on Monday morning to scorn Sen. Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) , who called his flurry of executive actions over the weekend “ unconstitutional slop.
” Shortly after the President signed the executive actions during a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey on Saturday — which came on the heels of Democrats and the White House failing to reach a deal on a new COVID-19 relief package — Sasse tore into Trump ’ s move in a statement by characterizing the actions as “ unconstitutional slop.
” In his statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Barack Obama did not have the authority to “ unilaterally rewrite immigration law ” with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program .
The Nebraska senator then argued that Trump therefore “ does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law.
” “ Under the Constitution , that power belongs to the American people acting through their members of Congress , ” Sasse said in his statement on Saturday , joining the chorus criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans over whether the President demonstrated executive overreach with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his grievances over Trump ’ s executive actions — which fall short both of what he ’ d previously hyped and what Congress was attempting to fulfill in a new COVID-19 relief package — the President accused Sasse of having “ gone rogue , again ” in a tweet .
Sasse , who Trump gave his “ total endorsement ” to the Nebraska senator in his bid for re-election , has gained a reputation for being one of the few Republicans on Capitol Hill willing to criticize the President .
In recent months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement using aggressive tactics to clear out peaceful protesters ahead of Trump ’ s infamous church photo-op near the White House — a move he argued “ treats the Word of God as a political prop.
” The Nebraska senator also criticized the President late last month for pulling U.S. forces out of Germany , characterizing the decision as “ weak.
” Sasse ’ s office did not immediately respond to TPM ’ s request for comment .

President Trump took to Twitter on Monday morning to scorn Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), who called his flurry of executive actions over the weekend “unconstitutional slop.”
Shortly after the President signed the executive actions during a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Saturday — which came on the heels of Democrats and the White House failing to reach a deal on a new COVID-19 relief package — Sasse tore into Trump’s move in a statement by characterizing the actions as “unconstitutional slop.”
In his statement on Saturday, Sasse wrote that former President Barack Obama did not have the authority to “unilaterally rewrite immigration law” with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Nebraska senator then argued that Trump therefore “does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law.”
“Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the American people acting through their members of Congress,” Sasse said in his statement on Saturday, joining the chorus criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans over whether the President demonstrated executive overreach with his actions.
Two days after Sasse aired his grievances over Trump’s executive actions — which fall short both of what he’d previously hyped and what Congress was attempting to fulfill in a new COVID-19 relief package — the President accused Sasse of having “gone rogue, again” in a tweet.
RINO Ben Sasse, who needed my support and endorsement in order to get the Republican nomination for Senate from the GREAT State of Nebraska, has, now that he’s got it (Thank you President T), gone rogue, again. This foolishness plays right into the hands of the Radical Left Dems! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020
Sasse, who Trump gave his “total endorsement” to the Nebraska senator in his bid for re-election, has gained a reputation for being one of the few Republicans on Capitol Hill willing to criticize the President.
In recent months, Sasse said he was against federal law enforcement using aggressive tactics to clear out peaceful protesters ahead of Trump’s infamous church photo-op near the White House — a move he argued “treats the Word of God as a political prop.” The Nebraska senator also criticized the President late last month for pulling U.S. forces out of Germany, characterizing the decision as “weak.”
Sasse’s office did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for comment.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Vilified And Burned Out, Health Officials Keep Quitting As COVID Outbreak Continues

PROVIDENCE , R.I. ( AP ) — Vilified , threatened with violence and in some cases burned out , dozens of state and local public health officials around the country have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak , a testament to how politically combustible masks , lockdowns and infection data have become .
The latest departure came Sunday , when California ’ s public health director , Dr. Sonia Angell , quit without explanation following a technical glitch that caused a delay in reporting virus test results — information that was used to make decisions about reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City ’ s health commissioner was replaced after months of tension with the Police Department and City Hall .
A review by the Kaiser Health News service and The Associated Press finds at least 48 state and local health leaders have resigned , retired or been fired since April across 23 states .
The list has grown by more than 20 people since the AP and KHN began tracking departures in June .
As of Monday , confirmed infections in the United States stood at over 5 million , with deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
The departures of so many top leaders around the country make a bad situation worse , at a time when the U.S. needs good public health leadership the most , said Lori Tremmel Freeman , CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials .
“ We ’ re moving at breakneck speed here to stop a pandemic , and you can ’ t afford to hit the pause button and say , ‘ We ’ re going to change the leadership around here and we ’ ll get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ ” Freeman said .
Many of the firings and resignations have to do with conflicts over mask orders or social distancing shutdowns , she said .
Many politicians and ordinary Americans have argued that such measures are not needed , contrary to the scientific evidence and the advice of public health experts .
Some health officials said they were leaving for family reasons , others had planned to retire , and some left for jobs at other health agencies , such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pressure-cooker environment .
After West Virginia Gov .
Jim Justice demanded the resignation of Dr. Cathy Slemp in June over what he said were discrepancies in the data , the move was criticized by public health experts at Johns Hopkins University .
Slemp said the department ’ s work had been hurt by outdated technology like fax machines and slow computer networks .
“ We are driving a great aunt ’ s Pinto when what you need is to be driving a Ferrari , ” Slemp said .
Since 2010 , spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 % per capita , and the amount devoted to local health departments has fallen 18 % , according to a KHN and AP analysis .
At least 38,000 state and local public health jobs have disappeared since the 2008 recession , leaving a skeletal workforce for what was once viewed as one of the world ’ s top public health systems .
In Oklahoma , both the state health commissioner and state epidemiologist have been replaced since the outbreak began in March .
The governor ’ s first pick for health commissioner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were concerned he wasn ’ t qualified .
In rural Colorado , Emily Brown was fired in late May as director of the Rio Grande County Public Health Department after clashing with county commissioners over reopening recommendations .
The person who replaced her resigned July 9 .
She said she knows many public health department leaders who are considering resigning or retiring because of the strain .
“ I think there ’ s a leadership gap .
Our elected officials in positions of power , whether presidents , governors or mayors , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aligning messages , ” forcing public health officials to bear the political pressure , Brown said .
“ It ’ s really hard to hear that we could be losing that expertise.
” Weber reported from St. Louis .
Associated Press writer Sean Murphy and KHN writer Anna Maria Barry-Jester contributed reporting .
Weber is a reporter with Kaiser Health News .
This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and KHN , which is a nonprofit news service covering health issues .
It is an editorially independent program of KFF ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Vilified, threatened with violence and in some cases burned out, dozens of state and local public health officials around the country have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak, a testament to how politically combustible masks, lockdowns and infection data have become.
The latest departure came Sunday, when California’s public health director, Dr. Sonia Angell, quit without explanation following a technical glitch that caused a delay in reporting virus test results — information that was used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools.
Last week, New York City’s health commissioner was replaced after months of tension with the Police Department and City Hall.
A review by the Kaiser Health News service and The Associated Press finds at least 48 state and local health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 23 states. The list has grown by more than 20 people since the AP and KHN began tracking departures in June.
As of Monday, confirmed infections in the United States stood at over 5 million, with deaths topping 163,000, the highest in the world.
The departures of so many top leaders around the country make a bad situation worse, at a time when the U.S. needs good public health leadership the most, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
“We’re moving at breakneck speed here to stop a pandemic, and you can’t afford to hit the pause button and say, ‘We’re going to change the leadership around here and we’ll get back to you after we hire somebody,’” Freeman said.
Many of the firings and resignations have to do with conflicts over mask orders or social distancing shutdowns, she said. Many politicians and ordinary Americans have argued that such measures are not needed, contrary to the scientific evidence and the advice of public health experts.
“It’s not a health divide; it’s a political divide,” Freeman said.
Some health officials said they were leaving for family reasons, others had planned to retire, and some left for jobs at other health agencies, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, many left amid threats and a pressure-cooker environment.
After West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice demanded the resignation of Dr. Cathy Slemp in June over what he said were discrepancies in the data, the move was criticized by public health experts at Johns Hopkins University. Slemp said the department’s work had been hurt by outdated technology like fax machines and slow computer networks.
“We are driving a great aunt’s Pinto when what you need is to be driving a Ferrari,” Slemp said.
Since 2010, spending on state public health departments has dropped 16% per capita, and the amount devoted to local health departments has fallen 18%, according to a KHN and AP analysis. At least 38,000 state and local public health jobs have disappeared since the 2008 recession, leaving a skeletal workforce for what was once viewed as one of the world’s top public health systems.
In Oklahoma, both the state health commissioner and state epidemiologist have been replaced since the outbreak began in March. The governor’s first pick for health commissioner was forced out in May because lawmakers were concerned he wasn’t qualified.
In rural Colorado, Emily Brown was fired in late May as director of the Rio Grande County Public Health Department after clashing with county commissioners over reopening recommendations. The person who replaced her resigned July 9.
She said she knows many public health department leaders who are considering resigning or retiring because of the strain.
“I think there’s a leadership gap. Our elected officials in positions of power, whether presidents, governors or mayors, they aren’t supporting staff better or aligning messages,” forcing public health officials to bear the political pressure, Brown said. “It’s really hard to hear that we could be losing that expertise.”
——
Weber reported from St. Louis. Associated Press writer Sean Murphy and KHN writer Anna Maria Barry-Jester contributed reporting.
——
Weber is a reporter with Kaiser Health News. This story is a collaboration between The Associated Press and KHN, which is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Trump To Vance: I Would Prefer A Civil, Not Criminal Subpoena

Attorneys for President Trump hit back in a Monday court filing at suggestions that the President is under investigation for fraud , saying that the allegations only meet the bar for civil wrongdoing .
“ Many of the allegations in the District Attorney ’ s extraneous sources that form the basis of his invitation to imagine an investigation broad enough to justify this subpoena , relate to civil , not criminal , conduct , ” attorneys for the President wrote in a footnote as part of a broader attempt to prevent a criminal subpoena issued for the President ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trying to block a subpoena obtained by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance for his financial records , held by accounting firm Mazars USA LLP .
The Supreme Court last month struck down a previous round of arguments from Trump that his status as President rendered the subpoena unenforceable , but remanded the case back to the district court while giving Trump leave to raise further objections .
Since then , Trump has claimed that the subpoena is “ wildly overbroad.
” And with Vance ’ s suggestion last week that press reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fit within the scope of the district attorney ’ s probe , Trump claimed again that there was no basis for an investigation based out of New York City .
“ In other words , the subpoena reaches so far and so comprehensively beyond New York ’ s borders ( and any conceivable conduct related to New York ) — again , unsurprising given that it was drafted to pursue purely national and international ends — that there is a near certainty it sweeps in categories of irrelevant information , ” attorneys for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost never litigated , partly out of deference that the courts typically grant to prosecutors .
In this case , as part of a bid to block a probe that could unearth his tax returns , Trump has managed to raise argument after argument that has resulted in a delay of the investigation .

Attorneys for President Trump hit back in a Monday court filing at suggestions that the President is under investigation for fraud, saying that the allegations only meet the bar for civil wrongdoing.
“Many of the allegations in the District Attorney’s extraneous sources that form the basis of his invitation to imagine an investigation broad enough to justify this subpoena, relate to civil, not criminal, conduct,” attorneys for the President wrote in a footnote as part of a broader attempt to prevent a criminal subpoena issued for the President’s financial records from going forward.
Trump is trying to block a subpoena obtained by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance for his financial records, held by accounting firm Mazars USA LLP.
The Supreme Court last month struck down a previous round of arguments from Trump that his status as President rendered the subpoena unenforceable, but remanded the case back to the district court while giving Trump leave to raise further objections.
Since then, Trump has claimed that the subpoena is “wildly overbroad.” And with Vance’s suggestion last week that press reports documenting fraud allegations against the Trump organization fit within the scope of the district attorney’s probe, Trump claimed again that there was no basis for an investigation based out of New York City.
“In other words, the subpoena reaches so far and so comprehensively beyond New York’s borders (and any conceivable conduct related to New York) — again, unsurprising given that it was drafted to pursue purely national and international ends — that there is a near certainty it sweeps in categories of irrelevant information,” attorneys for the President wrote.
Criminal subpoenas are almost never litigated, partly out of deference that the courts typically grant to prosecutors.
In this case, as part of a bid to block a probe that could unearth his tax returns, Trump has managed to raise argument after argument that has resulted in a delay of the investigation.
Read the filing here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--US Has Now Seen 200,000 More Deaths Than In Previous Years, CDC Estimates Show

More than 200,000 deaths have occurred in the U.S. in 2020 than would have been expected according to trends from previous years , according to data from the Centers for Disease Control .
The figure encompasses all deaths that have occurred since March 15 , including the roughly 162,000 found to have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in the United States .
But the 200,000 count is more than 50,000 deaths higher than the toll of those who died due to identified cases of COVID-19 , suggesting that far more have passed away either from the illness or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The CDC tracks observed deaths week-by-week in the U.S. , based on regular reporting from state departments of health .
In May , the agency released an online tool that shows the data it receives and compares it to estimates of how many deaths would occur in the U.S. based on trends from previous years , adjusted for changes in population .
The tool takes delays in reporting into account , and includes a formula that adjusts the current death rate to compensate .
The estimate — known as excess mortality — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toll of a pandemic .
The deaths of those who died from COVID-19 without being diagnosed , who faced long ambulance or hospital waits , or who put off treatment of curable conditions are all encompassed by the metric .
Epidemiologists see excess death as one of the best ways to capture the course of a pandemic in relative real-time .
It takes weeks for the CDC to collect preliminary numbers of the dead for each state , but the agency does not publish final , cause-by-cause mortality statistics until at least two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach allows for the assessment of the total mortality effects of the pandemic in different places , ” explained an article in The Lancet published in May .
“ Crucially , the counts would be of deaths by all causes combined , thus side-stepping issues of what is or is not a death attributable to COVID-19.
” The same method of calculating excess deaths was used after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico , allowing public health officials to measure the true toll of a disaster that deprived the island of needed services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two months that saw cases surge around the country , with large outbreaks in Arizona , Texas , and Florida .
Case growth in those states appears to have subsided , while deaths — a lagging indicator — continue to mount .
At the same time , COVID-19 — and reports of deaths from diagnosed cases of it — continue to spread .
According to an estimate by the New York Times , only the states of Alaska , Hawaii , Maine , and West Virginia have maintained death rates in line with @ @ @

More than 200,000 deaths have occurred in the U.S. in 2020 than would have been expected according to trends from previous years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.
The figure encompasses all deaths that have occurred since March 15, including the roughly 162,000 found to have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in the United States.
But the 200,000 count is more than 50,000 deaths higher than the toll of those who died due to identified cases of COVID-19, suggesting that far more have passed away either from the illness or from the disruption associated with the pandemic.
The CDC tracks observed deaths week-by-week in the U.S., based on regular reporting from state departments of health. In May, the agency released an online tool that shows the data it receives and compares it to estimates of how many deaths would occur in the U.S. based on trends from previous years, adjusted for changes in population.
The tool takes delays in reporting into account, and includes a formula that adjusts the current death rate to compensate.
The estimate — known as excess mortality — allows epidemiologists to diagnose the full death toll of a pandemic. The deaths of those who died from COVID-19 without being diagnosed, who faced long ambulance or hospital waits, or who put off treatment of curable conditions are all encompassed by the metric.
Epidemiologists see excess death as one of the best ways to capture the course of a pandemic in relative real-time. It takes weeks for the CDC to collect preliminary numbers of the dead for each state, but the agency does not publish final, cause-by-cause mortality statistics until at least two years after the fact.
“This approach allows for the assessment of the total mortality effects of the pandemic in different places,” explained an article in The Lancet published in May. “Crucially, the counts would be of deaths by all causes combined, thus side-stepping issues of what is or is not a death attributable to COVID-19.”
The same method of calculating excess deaths was used after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, allowing public health officials to measure the true toll of a disaster that deprived the island of needed services.
The horrific milestone of 200,000 comes after two months that saw cases surge around the country, with large outbreaks in Arizona, Texas, and Florida.
Case growth in those states appears to have subsided, while deaths — a lagging indicator — continue to mount.
At the same time, COVID-19 — and reports of deaths from diagnosed cases of it — continue to spread. According to an estimate by the New York Times, only the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and West Virginia have maintained death rates in line with previous years.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-10--Trump Tries To Paint Dems As Desperate To Deal After Signing Potemkin Executive Actions

President Donald Trump is trying hard to sell his flurry of executive actions over the weekend that fall short both of what he said they ’ d do and what Congress was trying to achieve in a COVID-19 relief package .
After signing the actions at a press conference-campaign rally hybrid at his golf club in Bedminster , New Jersey on Saturday , Trump has been suggesting that Democrats are itching to return to the negotiating table .
“ The Democrats have called , ” Trump said from the airport at Morristown , New Jersey on Sunday night .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we say if it ’ s not a waste of time , we ’ ll do it.
” “ I hear that Nancy Pelosi wants to call , and she wants to see if she can do something , ” he added .
“ But they ’ re much more inclined to make a deal now than they would ’ ve been two days ago.
” So now Schumer and Pelosi want to meet to make a deal .
Amazing how it all works , isn ’ t it .
Where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks when they were “ hardliners ” , and only wanted BAILOUT MONEY for Democrat run states and cities that are failing badly ?
They know my phone number !
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-NY ) said Monday that they ’ d had no contact at all with Trump .
“ Fables from Donald Trump .
Fables .
That ’ s what he seems to specialize in , ” Schumer said on MSNBC .
“ I didn ’ t call him .
Speaker Pelosi didn ’ t call him .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ He has not called us , ” he added .
“ I haven ’ t spoken to him — I spoke to him during the last bill when Mnuchin was there .
Meadows wasn ’ t .
We got more done .
But I haven ’ t spoken to him since.
” The four lead negotiators on the package — Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) for the Democrats and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for the Republicans — do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They met almost daily the last two weeks , ultimately failing to come together on both topline numbers and specific planks of the relief package .
Mnuchin , who the Democrats have repeatedly said is easier to work with than Meadows , parroted Trump ’ s line Monday about the Democrats being newly eager to meet .
“ You know , there ’ s a deal to do if the Democrats are reasonable and want to compromise but if their attitude is , you know , we ’ d rather give you nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not going to get a deal , ” he said on CNBC .
“ But I heard Pelosi over the weekend and Schumer and I think they ’ re willing to compromise again — if we can get a fair deal , we ’ ll do it this week.
” Negotiations stalled out last week after Democrats offered to drop $ 1 trillion from their plan if the Republicans would go up $ 1 trillion in their proposals .
The White House negotiators rejected the compromise with “ vehemence , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters at that point that they ’ d advise Trump to go ahead with executive orders , the content of which they ’ d been floating for days .
Trump signed four actions Saturday — one order and three memoranda — which he said were centered on reinstating unemployment benefits at a lower level , extending the moratorium on evictions , deferring the payroll tax payments and deferring student loan payments .
On closer examination though , many of those actions fall short of Trump ’ s promises .
The unemployment benefit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week instead of the previous $ 600 , requires 25 percent of the cost to be made up by states , an economic impossibility for many already ravaged by the pandemic .
In addition , one of the sources of the $ 300 of federal aid — $ 44 million from a federal disaster relief fund — is only enough to fund the program for around five weeks .
And on top of all that , the only people eligible for the benefit would already have to be getting at least $ 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance — a clause that omits the lowest income people , particularly those that rely on tips .
Trump ’ s payroll tax cut — an idea that he ’ s long been musing over , despite its unpopularity in both parties — is also riddled with problems .
Without an act of Congress , the taxes would be due at some point in the future , making it a risk for employers to stop taking the money out of employees ’ paychecks now .
Trump said that he ’ d consider making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he ’ s reelected .
And even if the employers took the chance , it would take a while to change their systems .
Critics have also been up in arms over the potential blow to Social Security and Medicare , both of which get most of their funding from the tax .
On the rent moratorium order , Trump didn ’ t actually order anything — he just directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development to consider staunching evictions while working within existing laws .
Schumer and Pelosi have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well short of what the COVID-19-decimated economy needs to stabilize .
“ Unfortunately , the president ’ s executive orders , described in one word , could be paltry , in three words , unworkable , weak and far too narrow , ” Schumer said Sunday .

President Donald Trump is trying hard to sell his flurry of executive actions over the weekend that fall short both of what he said they’d do and what Congress was trying to achieve in a COVID-19 relief package.
After signing the actions at a press conference-campaign rally hybrid at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey on Saturday, Trump has been suggesting that Democrats are itching to return to the negotiating table.
“The Democrats have called,” Trump said from the airport at Morristown, New Jersey on Sunday night. “They’d like to get together. And we say if it’s not a waste of time, we’ll do it.”
“I hear that Nancy Pelosi wants to call, and she wants to see if she can do something,” he added. “But they’re much more inclined to make a deal now than they would’ve been two days ago.”
He doubled down Monday morning.
So now Schumer and Pelosi want to meet to make a deal. Amazing how it all works, isn’t it. Where have they been for the last 4 weeks when they were “hardliners”, and only wanted BAILOUT MONEY for Democrat run states and cities that are failing badly? They know my phone number!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Monday that they’d had no contact at all with Trump.
“Fables from Donald Trump. Fables. That’s what he seems to specialize in,” Schumer said on MSNBC. “I didn’t call him. Speaker Pelosi didn’t call him. No, we didn’t call him.”
“He has not called us,” he added. “I haven’t spoken to him — I spoke to him during the last bill when Mnuchin was there. Meadows wasn’t. We got more done. But I haven’t spoken to him since.”
The four lead negotiators on the package — Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for the Democrats and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for the Republicans — do not currently have public plans to meet. They met almost daily the last two weeks, ultimately failing to come together on both topline numbers and specific planks of the relief package.
Mnuchin, who the Democrats have repeatedly said is easier to work with than Meadows, parroted Trump’s line Monday about the Democrats being newly eager to meet.
“You know, there’s a deal to do if the Democrats are reasonable and want to compromise but if their attitude is, you know, we’d rather give you nothing than agree on things, then we’re not going to get a deal,” he said on CNBC. “But I heard Pelosi over the weekend and Schumer and I think they’re willing to compromise again — if we can get a fair deal, we’ll do it this week.”
Negotiations stalled out last week after Democrats offered to drop $1 trillion from their plan if the Republicans would go up $1 trillion in their proposals. The White House negotiators rejected the compromise with “vehemence,” Schumer said.
Mnuchin and Meadows told reporters at that point that they’d advise Trump to go ahead with executive orders, the content of which they’d been floating for days.
Trump signed four actions Saturday — one order and three memoranda — which he said were centered on reinstating unemployment benefits at a lower level, extending the moratorium on evictions, deferring the payroll tax payments and deferring student loan payments.
On closer examination though, many of those actions fall short of Trump’s promises.
The unemployment benefit, now to run at $400 a week instead of the previous $600, requires 25 percent of the cost to be made up by states, an economic impossibility for many already ravaged by the pandemic. In addition, one of the sources of the $300 of federal aid — $44 million from a federal disaster relief fund — is only enough to fund the program for around five weeks. And on top of all that, the only people eligible for the benefit would already have to be getting at least $100 from their state’s regular unemployment insurance — a clause that omits the lowest income people, particularly those that rely on tips.
Trump’s payroll tax cut — an idea that he’s long been musing over, despite its unpopularity in both parties — is also riddled with problems. Without an act of Congress, the taxes would be due at some point in the future, making it a risk for employers to stop taking the money out of employees’ paychecks now. Trump said that he’d consider making the tax cut permanent — but only if he’s reelected.
And even if the employers took the chance, it would take a while to change their systems. Critics have also been up in arms over the potential blow to Social Security and Medicare, both of which get most of their funding from the tax.
On the rent moratorium order, Trump didn’t actually order anything — he just directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development to consider staunching evictions while working within existing laws.
Schumer and Pelosi have been painting the actions as both unconstitutional and well short of what the COVID-19-decimated economy needs to stabilize.
“Unfortunately, the president’s executive orders, described in one word, could be paltry, in three words, unworkable, weak and far too narrow,” Schumer said Sunday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-11--Trump Claims He Wouldn’t Have Called For Obama To Resign In His Shoes Amid Staggering COVID Death To

Trump Claims He Wouldn’t Have Called For Obama To Resign In His Shoes Amid Staggering COVID Death Toll

President Donald Trump on Monday claimed he wouldn ’ t have called for former President Barack Obama ’ s resignation if his predecessor had been in his shoes during the current coronavirus pandemic and more than 160,000 people in the country had died .
Speaking to reporters at a White House briefing Monday , Trump defended a staggering COVID-19 death toll and his own mismanagement of the virus by saying that he wouldn ’ t have blamed Obama if the Democratic leader had been leading the country through a pandemic that netted similarly dismal results .
“ No , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump said when a reporter asked if he would have called for Obama ’ s resignation .
“ I think it ’ s been amazing what we ’ ve been able to do.
” Trump ’ s comments on Monday reflect a leader scrambling to save face amid his own bungled response to the pandemic .
“ If we didn ’ t close up our country , we would ’ ve had one-and-a-half or two million people already dead , ” Trump said , defending a death toll that outpaces all other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump repeatedly called for Obama ’ s resignation in campaigns ahead of the 2016 elections and within a year of announcing his own presidential bid .
Looking back on his social media record , Vox reported back in February that President Trump had posted roughly 100 panicked tweets about the Ebola virus in 2014 , often attacking then-President Obama for his handling of the outbreak .
Trump demanded that Obama “ apologize to the American people & resign ” over a doctor ’ s flight during the Ebola outbreak , even though the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States .
Two out of 11 people who were infected , died in the United States during a 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic , according to the CDC .
Hitting a new milestone on Sunday the United States reported five million coronavirus cases – and exceeded more than 1,000 deaths per day for a five day stretch last week .

President Donald Trump on Monday claimed he wouldn’t have called for former President Barack Obama’s resignation if his predecessor had been in his shoes during the current coronavirus pandemic and more than 160,000 people in the country had died.
Speaking to reporters at a White House briefing Monday, Trump defended a staggering COVID-19 death toll and his own mismanagement of the virus by saying that he wouldn’t have blamed Obama if the Democratic leader had been leading the country through a pandemic that netted similarly dismal results.
“No, I wouldn’t have done that,” Trump said when a reporter asked if he would have called for Obama’s resignation. “I think it’s been amazing what we’ve been able to do.”
Trump’s comments on Monday reflect a leader scrambling to save face amid his own bungled response to the pandemic.
“If we didn’t close up our country, we would’ve had one-and-a-half or two million people already dead,” Trump said, defending a death toll that outpaces all other countries in the world.
But President Trump repeatedly called for Obama’s resignation in campaigns ahead of the 2016 elections and within a year of announcing his own presidential bid.
Looking back on his social media record, Vox reported back in February that President Trump had posted roughly 100 panicked tweets about the Ebola virus in 2014, often attacking then-President Obama for his handling of the outbreak.
If this doctor, who so recklessly flew into New York from West Africa,has Ebola,then Obama should apologize to the American people & resign! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 23, 2014
Trump demanded that Obama “apologize to the American people & resign” over a doctor’s flight during the Ebola outbreak, even though the virus did not ultimately spread in the United States. Two out of 11 people who were infected, died in the United States during a 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, according to the CDC.
Hitting a new milestone on Sunday the United States reported five million coronavirus cases – and exceeded more than 1,000 deaths per day for a five day stretch last week.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-12--State IG: Department Did Not ‘Fully Assess Risks’ Of Civilian Casualties In Arms Sales

The State Department inspector general found in a report released Tuesday that the department did not “ fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties and legal concerns ” when it green-lit arms sales to Middle Eastern countries .
The report also found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did follow the law in his use of emergency powers , a point that State Department officials were eager to underscore in a press call Monday before the report ’ s release .
Officials repeated many times that Pompeo ’ s actions were in “ accordance with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Elliot Engel ( D-NY ) called “ directly from the Bill Barr playbook.
” Politico obtained an unredacted version of the report , which suggests that Pompeo moved slowly , over weeks , to make the emergency declaration final .
The public version , with the State Department ’ s redactions , makes the timeline seem much more condensed .
The IG investigation came at the behest of lawmakers who questioned Pompeo ’ s emergency declaration that allowed for the $ 8 billion sale to go ahead .
Lawmakers had blocked some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the weapons would be used on civilians .
The investigation received special attention after President Donald Trump , at Pompeo ’ s request , fired IG Steve Linick who was heading up the probe .
Pompeo admitted that he responded to written questions pertaining to the investigation .
The secretary has called Linick a “ bad actor ” and said he should have fired him “ long ago , ” though he denied that the firing was linked to the investigation .
After Linick ’ s ouster , Stephen Akard , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took over for about three months before he abruptly resigned last week .
Diana Shaw , his deputy , has stepped into the role in an acting capacity .

The State Department inspector general found in a report released Tuesday that the department did not “fully assess risks and implement mitigation measures to reduce civilian casualties and legal concerns” when it green-lit arms sales to Middle Eastern countries.
The report also found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did follow the law in his use of emergency powers, a point that State Department officials were eager to underscore in a press call Monday before the report’s release. Officials repeated many times that Pompeo’s actions were in “accordance with the law,” a preemptive spin that Rep. Elliot Engel (D-NY) called “directly from the Bill Barr playbook.”
Politico obtained an unredacted version of the report, which suggests that Pompeo moved slowly, over weeks, to make the emergency declaration final. The public version, with the State Department’s redactions, makes the timeline seem much more condensed.
The IG investigation came at the behest of lawmakers who questioned Pompeo’s emergency declaration that allowed for the $8 billion sale to go ahead. Lawmakers had blocked some of the arms transfers out of concern that the weapons would be used on civilians.
The investigation received special attention after President Donald Trump, at Pompeo’s request, fired IG Steve Linick who was heading up the probe. Pompeo admitted that he responded to written questions pertaining to the investigation. The secretary has called Linick a “bad actor” and said he should have fired him “long ago,” though he denied that the firing was linked to the investigation.
After Linick’s ouster, Stephen Akard, an ally of Vice President Mike Pence, took over for about three months before he abruptly resigned last week. Diana Shaw, his deputy, has stepped into the role in an acting capacity.
Read the redacted report here:
Read the unredacted report here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-08-11--Trump Camp Issues Irate Response To Biden Choosing Harris As Running Mate

The Trump campaign swiftly condemned Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s announcement of Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) as his running mate on Tuesday afternoon .
In a statement issued shortly after Biden ’ s announcement , Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson slammed the former VP ’ s decision to include Harris on the presidential ticket .
“ Not long ago , Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received , ” Pierson wrote .
“ Clearly , Phony Kamala will abandon her own morals , as well as try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party.
” Pierson went on to accuse Harris of having “ gleefully embraced the left ’ s radical manifesto ” during her own unsuccessful bid for the Democrats ’ presidential nomination , before arguing that the California senator is “ proof ” that Biden is “ an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left.
” Pierson dug in further by adding that Biden ’ s selection of Harris for the VP slot amounted to him “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radical mob ” — a move she predicts “ Americans will resoundingly reject ” in November .
“ Joe Biden is no moderate , and with Harris as his ‘ political living will , ’ he is surrendering control of our nation to the radical mob with promises to raise taxes , cut police funding , kill energy jobs , open our borders , and appease socialist dictators , ” Pierson wrote .
President Trump himself tweeted a video echoing Pierson ’ s statement shortly after Biden ’ s announcement on Tuesday afternoon @

The Trump campaign swiftly condemned Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s announcement of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate on Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement issued shortly after Biden’s announcement, Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson slammed the former VP’s decision to include Harris on the presidential ticket.
“Not long ago, Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received,” Pierson wrote. “Clearly, Phony Kamala will abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party.”
Pierson went on to accuse Harris of having “gleefully embraced the left’s radical manifesto” during her own unsuccessful bid for the Democrats’ presidential nomination, before arguing that the California senator is “proof” that Biden is “an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left.”
Pierson dug in further by adding that Biden’s selection of Harris for the VP slot amounted to him “surrendering control of our nation to the radical mob” — a move she predicts “Americans will resoundingly reject” in November.
“Joe Biden is no moderate, and with Harris as his ‘political living will,’ he is surrendering control of our nation to the radical mob with promises to raise taxes, cut police funding, kill energy jobs, open our borders, and appease socialist dictators,” Pierson wrote.
President Trump himself tweeted a video echoing Pierson’s statement shortly after Biden’s announcement on Tuesday afternoon.