motherjones--2020-10-02--Watch a Fake Rabbi Wrap Trump’s Spiritual Adviser In a Torah Scroll

In honor of the Jewish holiday Sukkot , which starts tonight , the Israel Allies Foundation , a Christian group , released a list of “ Israel ’ s Top 50 Christian Allies.
” Number one on the list was televangelist Paula White , President Trump ’ s personal spiritual adviser and adviser to the White House on faith and opportunity initiatives .
Upon receiving the news , White blasted out an email—and fundraising appeal—promoting her top spot on the list and including the note from the foundation ’ s president .
“ Paula White Cain and Paula White Ministries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for peace and prosperity in the Holy Land .
God bless Israel !
” he wrote .
White may be a pro-Israel Christian , but her relationship with real Jews is less certain , as evidenced by this video from 2007 , when a fake rabbi wrapped her in a Torah scroll on her TV show .
The man wrapping White in the scroll is Ralph Messer , a Christian preacher who founded the Simchat Torah Beit Midrash and the International Center for Torah Studies in Centennial , Colorado .
He refers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proponent of Messianic Judaism , a religious movement of Jews who believe Jesus was the Messiah .
But Messianic Jews say he ’ s not a rabbi at all , nor is he one of them .
They have disavowed Messer for such stunts , which they think give them a bad name .
“ On the face of it , it ’ s mishandling a sacred object .
A Torah scroll is really one of the most highly valued , highly protected objects in Jewish religious practice , ” says Russ Resnik @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Messianic Jewish Congregations .
“ Unrolling it and wrapping it around an individual just seems crazy and disrespectful .
It just communicates that the person really doesn ’ t understand Jewish life and Jewish culture.
” Messer made headlines in 2012 , when he performed a similar ceremony on the late Eddie Long , a prosperity preacher in Atlanta , Georgia , who had been accused of sexual misconduct with several young men in his congregation .
Unlike the video of White , Long ’ s performance went viral , prompting widespread outrage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake Jewish ritual , ” Resnik ’ s group protested , and Long eventually apologized for the ceremony , which he acknowledged had “ caused harm to the Jewish community.
” Paula White , however , has never apologized for participating in this spectacle , which would have remained lost but for Seattle , Washington , resident Shirley Johnson .
A religious woman , Johnson had been recording White ’ s TV show for years and posting snippets from it on her website , with complaints that White was twisting scripture to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ My calling is just to warn people that she ’ s a false preacher , ” Johnson explained to me in an interview earlier this year .
After the outcry over Long ’ s ceremony , Johnson posted the video of White in the Torah scroll on her YouTube channel .
In response , White hired a ( now-disbarred ) lawyer to demand YouTube take down the video for copyright violations .
YouTube complied , but Johnson fought back , arguing that the video constituted legal fair use .
YouTube restored her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 , White sued Johnson for copyright infringement in federal court to try again to excise the video from the Internet .
White eventually withdrew the lawsuit , but Johnson countersued for malicious prosecution .
In 2018 , after a two-day bench trial in a Florida federal court , where Johnson represented herself , a judge awarded Johnson $ 12,500 for mental anguish and another $ 1,200 in economic damages against White for her bogus copyright infringement action .
Despite her efforts to bury the video of this unusual ceremony , White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s a big fan of Passover —describing it as “ one of the most supernatural , miraculous seasons ” —and took the opportunity this week to do some extra special personal fundraising for Paula White Ministries around the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar , Yom Kippur , or the Day of Atonement .
But she doesn ’ t seem especially concerned about her standing with Jewish people ( except perhaps Trump ’ s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner , both Orthodox Jews ) .
Since assuming an official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on faith and opportunity in 2019 , White is supposed to handle outreach to faith communities of all sorts , not just evangelical Christians like her .
But she has rarely , if ever , reached out to Jewish leaders .
Rabbi Jack Moline , president of the Interfaith Alliance , a religious freedom advocacy group , says he ’ s tried at least five times to secure a meeting with someone from White ’ s office and failed .
“ She is a particular kind of evangelical Christian who does not seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says .
So he ’ s not surprised that she ’ d participate in something as offensive as her encounter with the Torah scroll .
“ It was a clever stunt , wrapping her in the word of God , but the sacredness of that scroll would never permit any faithful Jew to use it in the way [ Messner ] did , ” he says .
That said , Moline notes that the video isn ’ t likely to affect her standing in the White House , noting that it wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was commanding “ satanic pregnancies to miscarry ” and preaching about demons .
“ Anybody who thinks it ’ s appropriate for her to be there in the first place , ” he says , “ is not going to be put off by this particular insensitivity on her part .
”

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In honor of the Jewish holiday Sukkot, which starts tonight, the Israel Allies Foundation, a Christian group, released a list of “Israel’s Top 50 Christian Allies.” Number one on the list was televangelist Paula White, President Trump’s personal spiritual adviser and adviser to the White House on faith and opportunity initiatives. Upon receiving the news, White blasted out an email—and fundraising appeal—promoting her top spot on the list and including the note from the foundation’s president. “Paula White Cain and Paula White Ministries stands with Israel and the Jewish people for peace and prosperity in the Holy Land. God bless Israel!” he wrote.
White may be a pro-Israel Christian, but her relationship with real Jews is less certain, as evidenced by this video from 2007, when a fake rabbi wrapped her in a Torah scroll on her TV show.
The man wrapping White in the scroll is Ralph Messer, a Christian preacher who founded the Simchat Torah Beit Midrash and the International Center for Torah Studies in Centennial, Colorado. He refers to himself as a rabbi and is a proponent of Messianic Judaism, a religious movement of Jews who believe Jesus was the Messiah. But Messianic Jews say he’s not a rabbi at all, nor is he one of them. They have disavowed Messer for such stunts, which they think give them a bad name.
“On the face of it, it’s mishandling a sacred object. A Torah scroll is really one of the most highly valued, highly protected objects in Jewish religious practice,” says Russ Resnik, rabbinic counsel to the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations. “Unrolling it and wrapping it around an individual just seems crazy and disrespectful. It just communicates that the person really doesn’t understand Jewish life and Jewish culture.”
“Unrolling it and wrapping it around an individual just seems crazy and disrespectful.”
Messer made headlines in 2012, when he performed a similar ceremony on the late Eddie Long, a prosperity preacher in Atlanta, Georgia, who had been accused of sexual misconduct with several young men in his congregation. Unlike the video of White, Long’s performance went viral, prompting widespread outrage. The Anti-Defamation League condemned the “fake Jewish ritual,” Resnik’s group protested, and Long eventually apologized for the ceremony, which he acknowledged had “caused harm to the Jewish community.”
Paula White, however, has never apologized for participating in this spectacle, which would have remained lost but for Seattle, Washington, resident Shirley Johnson. A religious woman, Johnson had been recording White’s TV show for years and posting snippets from it on her website, with complaints that White was twisting scripture to get people to donate to her ministry. “My calling is just to warn people that she’s a false preacher,” Johnson explained to me in an interview earlier this year.
After the outcry over Long’s ceremony, Johnson posted the video of White in the Torah scroll on her YouTube channel. In response, White hired a (now-disbarred) lawyer to demand YouTube take down the video for copyright violations. YouTube complied, but Johnson fought back, arguing that the video constituted legal fair use. YouTube restored her channel a few months later. Then in 2014, White sued Johnson for copyright infringement in federal court to try again to excise the video from the Internet.
White eventually withdrew the lawsuit, but Johnson countersued for malicious prosecution. In 2018, after a two-day bench trial in a Florida federal court, where Johnson represented herself, a judge awarded Johnson $12,500 for mental anguish and another $1,200 in economic damages against White for her bogus copyright infringement action.
Despite her efforts to bury the video of this unusual ceremony, White seems to enjoy appropriating Jewish rituals. She’s a big fan of Passover —describing it as “one of the most supernatural, miraculous seasons”—and took the opportunity this week to do some extra special personal fundraising for Paula White Ministries around the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.
James 2:20 reminds us that “Faith without works is dead” – let me pray for you, send me your Day of Atonement prayer request so I can lift your name up to The Lord- https://t.co/Fm5rrYbVu0 — Paula White-Cain (@Paula_White) September 28, 2020
But she doesn’t seem especially concerned about her standing with Jewish people (except perhaps Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, both Orthodox Jews). Since assuming an official government job as the White House adviser on faith and opportunity in 2019, White is supposed to handle outreach to faith communities of all sorts, not just evangelical Christians like her. But she has rarely, if ever, reached out to Jewish leaders.
Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the Interfaith Alliance, a religious freedom advocacy group, says he’s tried at least five times to secure a meeting with someone from White’s office and failed. “She is a particular kind of evangelical Christian who does not seem to understand what diversity means,” he says. So he’s not surprised that she’d participate in something as offensive as her encounter with the Torah scroll. “It was a clever stunt, wrapping her in the word of God, but the sacredness of that scroll would never permit any faithful Jew to use it in the way [Messner] did,” he says.
That said, Moline notes that the video isn’t likely to affect her standing in the White House, noting that it wasn’t so long ago that she was commanding “satanic pregnancies to miscarry” and preaching about demons. “Anybody who thinks it’s appropriate for her to be there in the first place,” he says, “is not going to be put off by this particular insensitivity on her part.”


motherjones--2020-10-02--Trump Doesn’t Care About the People Who Got Coronavirus. Now He’s One of Them.

In the early hours of Friday morning , the White House announced that President Trump and his wife , Melania , had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Almost immediately , there were calls for expressions of empathy for them as they were diagnosed with this potentially deadly disease that has already killed 207,000 people .
Former Vice President and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden immediately sent out his best wishes to the couple .
In the past , presidents have served as role models , the consolers-in-chief during times of national tragedy .
One need only look at Ronald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton after the Oklahoma City bombing , George W. Bush after 9/11 , and Barack Obama after the mass shooting in Newtown and the racist murders in the Black church in Charleston , to see presidential eloquence in expressing grief for the nation .
But from the very beginning of his presidency , Trump has chosen not to occupy that role—culminating in his responses to the pandemic .
When the coronavirus began to spread in the United States , Trump immediately began to downplay its seriousness—even as he admitted to journalist Bob Woodward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the flu .
As the death toll climbed , Trump not only did not implement an effective systemic public health response but refused to acknowledge the collective grief bearing down on a nation .
As families and communities struggled to mourn over Zoom and suffered through the loss of physical contact with loved ones , the president pressured everyone to just get on with their lives .
To make matters worse , his inability to understand science has led to what is considered to be one of the worst pandemic responses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of life .
Trump has flip-flopped on mask-wearing , sometimes saying he ’ s fine with masks but also mocking Biden for wearing a mask in public and demeaning the size of Biden ’ s socially-distant campaign events .
Trump has insisted that the virus would disappear without a vaccine but is also bragging about how a vaccine will be ready in a matter of weeks .
His blatant contradictions of his own public health officials have resulted in mass confusion .
Beyond the cacophony of misleading statements and outright lies , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t care about coronavirus victims .
But now he ’ s one of them .
After months of traveling to crowded rallies without a mask , Trump and the First Lady—not to mention members of his closest staff— have joined the more than 7 million people in the US who have contracted COVID-19 .
According to the White House , the president is experiencing “ mild symptoms ” of the virus .
The level of sheer heartlessness coming from the White House is difficult to overstate .
In August , when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter Jonathan Swan asked Trump about the staggering death toll .
“ It is what it is , ” Trump responded , with some irritation .
When the United States crossed the grim milestone of 200,000 late last month .
Trump offered no sympathy or condolence , instead opting for more of the denial that ’ s characterized his pandemic response .
“ This affects virtually nobody , ” he told thousands of people at a packed rally in Minnesota .
“ Nobody ” for Trump equals hundreds and thousands people , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Brown and poor .
Of course , the signs that empathy would simply not be in the cards for this presidency were obvious from the beginning .
In the early days of his campaign , he mocked Serge Kovaleski , a reporter with a disability that makes it difficult to move his arms .
Then , in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election , Hillary Clinton contracted pneumonia and was caught on tape falling down .
Trump ridiculed her at a rally and pretended to stumble on stage .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winds and rains to Puerto Rico , leaving millions without water , food , or electricity , Trump chose to spar with San Juan ’ s mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz , blaming her for the disaster .
When he finally went to the island , he tossed paper towel rolls into the crowd .
The First Lady is not exempt .
In 2018 , on a trip to Texas where the administration was holding children who had been separated from their parents at the border , Melania was photographed boarding a plane in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I Really Don ’ t Care .
Do U ?
” Underpinning the disastrous response to the pandemic has been the ongoing plague of racism in the United States and the attempted reckoning for racial justice .
When George Floyd , a 46-year-old Black man in Minneapolis , was killed by a white police officer who knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes , Trump tried to offer words of support for Floyd ’ s family—but could never quite get there .
It wasn ’ t long before the president was retweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threatening to shoot Black Lives Matter protesters .
He did not hesitate , however , to offer words of support for Kyle Rittenhouse , the white 17-year-old charged with murder after he killed two racial justice protesters .
The message was clear : The president does not care about Black lives—or the people who do .
During the first memorably chaotic presidential debate two days before the president revealed his diagnosis , Trump brought his lack of empathy to new lows .
When Joe Biden referred to the impressive military service of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of brain cancer in 2015 , Trump taunted his opponent .
“ Are you talking about Hunter ?
” he asked , knowing the answer .
“ No , I ’ m talking about Beau , ” Biden replied .
“ I don ’ t know Beau , ” Trump shot back and then attempted to focus on Hunter Biden ’ s ties to Ukraine .
At that same debate , Trump refused to denounce the Proud Boys , a neo-fascist group .
Two days later , he got COVID .
The defenders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate response from liberals , Democrats , and the American public in general is empathy for the First Family as they face this health crisis .
But Trump has not bothered with even the most pro forma expression of sympathy or sadness for coronavirus victims .
And for Black and Brown people and other marginalized groups , he ’ s expressed actual disdain .
He ’ s an incompetent racist who only cares about his own fundraising and reelection ; his aversion to sympathy has led to the highest coronavirus death toll in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacist violence and rhetoric .
To demand empathy in the face of such deadly indifference is not civility at all—it just adds to the cruelty .

In the early hours of Friday morning, the White House announced that President Trump and his wife, Melania, had tested positive for the coronavirus. Almost immediately, there were calls for expressions of empathy for them as they were diagnosed with this potentially deadly disease that has already killed 207,000 people.
Interesting to see those who’ve spent the last few years screaming that Trump’s an uncaring, heartless empathy-devoid b*stard now spewing their gleeful joy that he & his wife have a deadly virus. They’re no better than the man they loathe. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) October 2, 2020
Looking forward to all the kind-hearted expressions of sympathy to Trump and Melania from the blue-checkmark Left. — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 2, 2020
Former Vice President and Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden immediately sent out his best wishes to the couple.
Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 2, 2020
In the past, presidents have served as role models, the consolers-in-chief during times of national tragedy. One need only look at Ronald Reagan during the Challenger disaster, Bill Clinton after the Oklahoma City bombing, George W. Bush after 9/11, and Barack Obama after the mass shooting in Newtown and the racist murders in the Black church in Charleston, to see presidential eloquence in expressing grief for the nation. But from the very beginning of his presidency, Trump has chosen not to occupy that role—culminating in his responses to the pandemic.
When the coronavirus began to spread in the United States, Trump immediately began to downplay its seriousness—even as he admitted to journalist Bob Woodward that he appreciated COVID-19 was far deadlier than the flu. As the death toll climbed, Trump not only did not implement an effective systemic public health response but refused to acknowledge the collective grief bearing down on a nation. As families and communities struggled to mourn over Zoom and suffered through the loss of physical contact with loved ones, the president pressured everyone to just get on with their lives.
To make matters worse, his inability to understand science has led to what is considered to be one of the worst pandemic responses in the world, leading to unnecessary loss of life. Trump has flip-flopped on mask-wearing, sometimes saying he’s fine with masks but also mocking Biden for wearing a mask in public and demeaning the size of Biden’s socially-distant campaign events. Trump has insisted that the virus would disappear without a vaccine but is also bragging about how a vaccine will be ready in a matter of weeks. His blatant contradictions of his own public health officials have resulted in mass confusion. Beyond the cacophony of misleading statements and outright lies, one thing has remained constant: Trump doesn’t care about coronavirus victims.
Beyond the cacophony of misleading statements and outright lies, one thing has remained constant: Trump doesn’t care about coronavirus victims.
But now he’s one of them. After months of traveling to crowded rallies without a mask, Trump and the First Lady—not to mention members of his closest staff— have joined the more than 7 million people in the US who have contracted COVID-19. According to the White House, the president is experiencing “mild symptoms” of the virus.
The level of sheer heartlessness coming from the White House is difficult to overstate. In August, when the death toll was at 158,000, Axios reporter Jonathan Swan asked Trump about the staggering death toll. “It is what it is,” Trump responded, with some irritation. When the United States crossed the grim milestone of 200,000 late last month. Trump offered no sympathy or condolence, instead opting for more of the denial that’s characterized his pandemic response. “This affects virtually nobody,” he told thousands of people at a packed rally in Minnesota. “Nobody” for Trump equals hundreds and thousands people, a disproportionate amount of them who are Black and Brown and poor.
Of course, the signs that empathy would simply not be in the cards for this presidency were obvious from the beginning. In the early days of his campaign, he mocked Serge Kovaleski, a reporter with a disability that makes it difficult to move his arms. Then, in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton contracted pneumonia and was caught on tape falling down. Trump ridiculed her at a rally and pretended to stumble on stage.
Donald Trump mocks Hillary Clinton over her pneumonia outbreak pic.twitter.com/feHjV6cLDa — The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 2, 2016
In 2017, after Hurricane Maria brought catastrophic winds and rains to Puerto Rico, leaving millions without water, food, or electricity, Trump chose to spar with San Juan’s mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, blaming her for the disaster. When he finally went to the island, he tossed paper towel rolls into the crowd. The First Lady is not exempt. In 2018, on a trip to Texas where the administration was holding children who had been separated from their parents at the border, Melania was photographed boarding a plane in a green jacket that said, “I Really Don’t Care. Do U?”
Underpinning the disastrous response to the pandemic has been the ongoing plague of racism in the United States and the attempted reckoning for racial justice. When George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in Minneapolis, was killed by a white police officer who knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, Trump tried to offer words of support for Floyd’s family—but could never quite get there. It wasn’t long before the president was retweeting pundits impugning Floyd’s character and threatening to shoot Black Lives Matter protesters. He did not hesitate, however, to offer words of support for Kyle Rittenhouse, the white 17-year-old charged with murder after he killed two racial justice protesters. The message was clear: The president does not care about Black lives—or the people who do.
During the first memorably chaotic presidential debate two days before the president revealed his diagnosis, Trump brought his lack of empathy to new lows. When Joe Biden referred to the impressive military service of his late son, Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, Trump taunted his opponent. “Are you talking about Hunter?” he asked, knowing the answer. “No, I’m talking about Beau,” Biden replied. “I don’t know Beau,” Trump shot back and then attempted to focus on Hunter Biden’s ties to Ukraine. At that same debate, Trump refused to denounce the Proud Boys, a neo-fascist group. Two days later, he got COVID.
The defenders of civility may think that the only appropriate response from liberals, Democrats, and the American public in general is empathy for the First Family as they face this health crisis. But Trump has not bothered with even the most pro forma expression of sympathy or sadness for coronavirus victims. And for Black and Brown people and other marginalized groups, he’s expressed actual disdain. He’s an incompetent racist who only cares about his own fundraising and reelection; his aversion to sympathy has led to the highest coronavirus death toll in the world and an alarming uptick in white supremacist violence and rhetoric. To demand empathy in the face of such deadly indifference is not civility at all—it just adds to the cruelty.


motherjones--2020-10-02--In the Coronavirus, Donald Trump Has Met His Match—a Reality That Won’t Budge to Alternative Facts

If your morning ( or late night ) was anything like mine , it was consumed with speculation about what it means that the president has tested positive for coronavirus .
That ’ s a natural impulse , and cable hosts and social media pundits will continue obsessing over the tiniest clues from a White House that has consistently revealed too little , too late .
But what has stuck with me this morning is the point my colleague David Corn ’ s makes here—that we ’ re dealing with two diseases : Coronavirus , and disinformation .
“ One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a killer virus is accurate information—that is , the truth , ” David writes .
“ If the public is fully and well informed about the dangers and the best counter-measures , the better the chances this threat can be arrested.
” Instead , the president “ is one of the world ’ s leading disinformation agents .
And given that Trump has demonstrated he will do practically anything to win reelection—belittle a pandemic , appeal to racism , encourage confrontation and possible violence , make false charges of voting fraud , use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place his own supporters at risk , and crassly exploit the White House and US government agencies—there is no reason to expect he will be honest with the voters about any aspect of the White House coronavirus crisis.
” David is right—and one of the grimmest aspects of this moment is that the victims of Trump ’ s denialism , already numbering in the millions , now include the president himself .
In the coronavirus , Donald Trump has met his match—a reality that won ’ t budge to alternative facts .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , lying , or gaslighting , instead it thrives on all of these .
You can call public health policy a hoax and masks oppressive , you can muzzle the scientists and rhapsodize about how “ it goes away.
” The virus doesn ’ t care .
The president hasn ’ t had a lot of experiences like that .
His enablers and his own narcissism have always worked to create a bubble of self-serving fictions for him , a bubble rarely pierced by reality .
In Trump ’ s alternate universe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest threat to Americans were antifa super-soldiers and low-income housing marring the lives of “ suburban housewives.
” In that world , only one thing is consistent : Whatever the problem , only Donald Trump can solve it .
But the virus doesn ’ t care .
And every once in a while , we ’ ve seen Trump catch a glimpse of that .
That ’ s the voice you hear on the Bob Woodward tapes : The germaphobe president riffing about how “ you don ’ t have to touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just breathe the air , that ’ s how it ’ s passed , and so that ’ s a very tricky one.
” Those words have a grim resonance now .
Trump has not shown compassion for the hundreds of thousands of Americans killed by a pandemic he could have done much to thwart .
But that doesn ’ t mean compassion must be denied him .
As he battles the illness , we can wish him a speedy recovery .
But we can also not forget the lethal consequences of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not had access to the kind of care he will receive .
There ’ s one thing you can count on at this confusing moment : Mother Jones journalists like David will be on the job , unfazed by the chaos of the headlines , focused on cutting through the fog of disinformation .
We ’ ll keep you posted as we can .
Meanwhile , please , please , stay safe and well .

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.
If your morning (or late night) was anything like mine, it was consumed with speculation about what it means that the president has tested positive for coronavirus. That’s a natural impulse, and cable hosts and social media pundits will continue obsessing over the tiniest clues from a White House that has consistently revealed too little, too late.
But what has stuck with me this morning is the point my colleague David Corn’s makes here—that we’re dealing with two diseases: Coronavirus, and disinformation.
“One of the best weapons to deploy against a killer virus is accurate information—that is, the truth,” David writes. “If the public is fully and well informed about the dangers and the best counter-measures, the better the chances this threat can be arrested.” Instead, the president “is one of the world’s leading disinformation agents. And given that Trump has demonstrated he will do practically anything to win reelection—belittle a pandemic, appeal to racism, encourage confrontation and possible violence, make false charges of voting fraud, use Russian disinformation, debase the discourse, place his own supporters at risk, and crassly exploit the White House and US government agencies—there is no reason to expect he will be honest with the voters about any aspect of the White House coronavirus crisis.”
David is right—and one of the grimmest aspects of this moment is that the victims of Trump’s denialism, already numbering in the millions, now include the president himself. In the coronavirus, Donald Trump has met his match—a reality that won’t budge to alternative facts. The virus isn’t susceptible to bullying, lying, or gaslighting, instead it thrives on all of these. You can call public health policy a hoax and masks oppressive, you can muzzle the scientists and rhapsodize about how “it goes away.” The virus doesn’t care.
The president hasn’t had a lot of experiences like that. His enablers and his own narcissism have always worked to create a bubble of self-serving fictions for him, a bubble rarely pierced by reality. In Trump’s alternate universe, the pandemic is under control, and the biggest threat to Americans were antifa super-soldiers and low-income housing marring the lives of “suburban housewives.” In that world, only one thing is consistent: Whatever the problem, only Donald Trump can solve it.
But the virus doesn’t care. And every once in a while, we’ve seen Trump catch a glimpse of that. That’s the voice you hear on the Bob Woodward tapes: The germaphobe president riffing about how “you don’t have to touch things, but the air? You just breathe the air, that’s how it’s passed, and so that’s a very tricky one.”
Those words have a grim resonance now. Trump has not shown compassion for the hundreds of thousands of Americans killed by a pandemic he could have done much to thwart. But that doesn’t mean compassion must be denied him. As he battles the illness, we can wish him a speedy recovery. But we can also not forget the lethal consequences of his actions for so many others who have not had access to the kind of care he will receive.
There’s one thing you can count on at this confusing moment: Mother Jones journalists like David will be on the job, unfazed by the chaos of the headlines, focused on cutting through the fog of disinformation. We’ll keep you posted as we can. Meanwhile, please, please, stay safe and well.


motherjones--2020-10-02--Breonna Taylor Grand Jury Recordings Released

After months of protest and scrutiny over the police shooting of Breonna Taylor , the decision of a grand jury last week to indict no police officers in her death only raised more questions .
Now , lengthy recordings of the grand jury ’ s proceedings that were just released could answer some of those questions .
The recordings are expected to reveal what evidence the team of prosecutors led by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron presented to the grand jury , and what witnesses , including police , told grand jurors happened at Taylor ’ s apartment .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much confusion and controversy : what options Cameron ’ s team gave the jury , if any , for potentially indicting the two Louisville officers who shot Taylor , Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove .
The recordings will give a rare glimpse of grand jury proceedings , which are ordinarily kept secret .
Grand jurors review evidence and witnesses presented by prosecutors before deciding on indictments .
Typically , prosecutors also present charges for the jury to consider and make a recommendation on which should be brought .
On Monday , a judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case against former detective Brett Hankison , the sole officer indicted for events that unfolded during the police raid on Taylor ’ s apartment .
( Hankison was charged with three counts of “ wanton endangerment ” for shooting through Taylor ’ s apartment and into an adjacent home where a family was present , and has pleaded not guilty . )
The recordings also could answer questions raised by an anonymous grand juror about the truthfulness of Cameron ’ s public statements after the grand jury handed down its decision .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a highly unusual motion requesting that the judge allow grand jury members to speak publicly about their experience , including what witnesses were not called , what evidence was not heard , and what potential charges were not presented to the grand jurors by Cameron ’ s team .
“ The citizens of this Commonwealth have demonstrated their lack of faith in the process and proceedings in this matter and the justice system itself , ” the grand juror ’ s motion states .
“ Using the grand jurors as a shield to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only sows more seeds of doubt in the process.
” At a press conference this week , the grand juror ’ s attorney , Kevin Glogower , explained that his client was concerned after Cameron ’ s September 23 press conference announcing the grand jury ’ s results , and believed Cameron had not fully explained why no officers were indicted for killing Taylor .
For one thing , he said , Cameron had not revealed what possible charges his team of prosecutors had presented to the grand jury .
Only on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released , did Cameron acknowledge that his sole recommendation was the wanton endangerment charge against Hankison ; no charges against Mattingly and Cosgrove were advised .
He admitted that he did not recommend charges for murder but suggested that the grand jury could have pursued those charges anyway .
“ [ The grand jury is ] an independent body , ” Cameron said .
“ If they wanted to make an assessment about different charges , they could have done that .
But our recommendation was that Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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After months of protest and scrutiny over the police shooting of Breonna Taylor, the decision of a grand jury last week to indict no police officers in her death only raised more questions. Now, lengthy recordings of the grand jury’s proceedings that were just released could answer some of those questions.
The recordings are expected to reveal what evidence the team of prosecutors led by Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron presented to the grand jury, and what witnesses, including police, told grand jurors happened at Taylor’s apartment. They could shed light on a subject of much confusion and controversy: what options Cameron’s team gave the jury, if any, for potentially indicting the two Louisville officers who shot Taylor, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove.
The recordings will give a rare glimpse of grand jury proceedings, which are ordinarily kept secret. Grand jurors review evidence and witnesses presented by prosecutors before deciding on indictments. Typically, prosecutors also present charges for the jury to consider and make a recommendation on which should be brought. On Monday, a judge ordered the recordings released as part of the case against former detective Brett Hankison, the sole officer indicted for events that unfolded during the police raid on Taylor’s apartment. (Hankison was charged with three counts of “wanton endangerment” for shooting through Taylor’s apartment and into an adjacent home where a family was present, and has pleaded not guilty.)
The recordings also could answer questions raised by an anonymous grand juror about the truthfulness of Cameron’s public statements after the grand jury handed down its decision. On Monday, the grand juror filed a highly unusual motion requesting that the judge allow grand jury members to speak publicly about their experience, including what witnesses were not called, what evidence was not heard, and what potential charges were not presented to the grand jurors by Cameron’s team. “The citizens of this Commonwealth have demonstrated their lack of faith in the process and proceedings in this matter and the justice system itself,” the grand juror’s motion states. “Using the grand jurors as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility for these decisions only sows more seeds of doubt in the process.”
At a press conference this week, the grand juror’s attorney, Kevin Glogower, explained that his client was concerned after Cameron’s September 23 press conference announcing the grand jury’s results, and believed Cameron had not fully explained why no officers were indicted for killing Taylor. For one thing, he said, Cameron had not revealed what possible charges his team of prosecutors had presented to the grand jury.
Only on Tuesday, after a judge ordered the recordings released, did Cameron acknowledge that his sole recommendation was the wanton endangerment charge against Hankison; no charges against Mattingly and Cosgrove were advised. He admitted that he did not recommend charges for murder but suggested that the grand jury could have pursued those charges anyway. “[The grand jury is] an independent body,” Cameron said. “If they wanted to make an assessment about different charges, they could have done that. But our recommendation was that Mattingly and Cosgrove were justified in their acts and their conduct.”


motherjones--2020-10-02--Donald Trump Mingled Without a Mask at a New Jersey Fundraiser

President Donald Trump , who announced on Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 , did not wear a mask during a Thursday afternoon campaign fundraiser at his Bedminster , New Jersey , golf club , according to a person who was at the club .
Trump mingled with the crowd of about 150 donors , at one point going table-to-table to shake hands with attendees , according to the source , who asked not to be identified .
This behavior is typical for Trump when he visits the club—members often approach him to shake hands and chat .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been contagious .
On the day of this fundraiser , the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster was also hosting its largest golf tournament of the year , a member-guest invitational that this year drew more than 180 players .
These participants were at the course and the club ’ s facilities throughout the day .
Cameras and phones were not allowed inside Trump ’ s fundraising event , which took place in the early afternoon , but on social media several attendees posted pictures of themselves taken before or after the event .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Thursday that she and her husband had their photos taken with the president and then sat 20 feet away from him while he addressed the crowd .
Early Friday morning , Schecter wrote on Facebook ( in a post that has since been made non-public or deleted ) that she was with Trump for as long as 30 seconds but believed that she wasn ’ t in any danger because Trump was asymptomatic .
Later on Friday morning , it was reported that Trump had exhibited symptoms during his trip to New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump appeared to be lethargic at the event and did not stay afterward to socialize as he usually does .
Other donors are reported to be upset about the likelihood that Trump was contagious during their interactions with him .
The event appears to have taken place in violation of the state of New Jersey ’ s pandemic rules , which allow for gatherings of no more than 25 people and mandate that all attendees wear masks and stay six feet apart .
On Friday morning , New Jersey governor Phil Murphy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get tested .

President Donald Trump, who announced on Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, did not wear a mask during a Thursday afternoon campaign fundraiser at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, according to a person who was at the club. Trump mingled with the crowd of about 150 donors, at one point going table-to-table to shake hands with attendees, according to the source, who asked not to be identified. This behavior is typical for Trump when he visits the club—members often approach him to shake hands and chat. But this time, Trump may have been contagious.
On the day of this fundraiser, the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster was also hosting its largest golf tournament of the year, a member-guest invitational that this year drew more than 180 players. These participants were at the course and the club’s facilities throughout the day. Cameras and phones were not allowed inside Trump’s fundraising event, which took place in the early afternoon, but on social media several attendees posted pictures of themselves taken before or after the event. One guest, Patti Schecter, bragged late Thursday that she and her husband had their photos taken with the president and then sat 20 feet away from him while he addressed the crowd.
Early Friday morning, Schecter wrote on Facebook (in a post that has since been made non-public or deleted) that she was with Trump for as long as 30 seconds but believed that she wasn’t in any danger because Trump was asymptomatic. Later on Friday morning, it was reported that Trump had exhibited symptoms during his trip to New Jersey. According to several news reports, Trump appeared to be lethargic at the event and did not stay afterward to socialize as he usually does.
Other donors are reported to be upset about the likelihood that Trump was contagious during their interactions with him.
Scoop: GOP donors are panicking after being around President Trump during a fundraiser at his golf course in Bedminster. 30 to 50 donors were close to six feet of the president at the event, most of the interaction was outside.https://t.co/mhC9cWPNsZ — Brian Schwartz (@schwartzbCNBC) October 2, 2020
The event appears to have taken place in violation of the state of New Jersey’s pandemic rules, which allow for gatherings of no more than 25 people and mandate that all attendees wear masks and stay six feet apart. On Friday morning, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy urged anyone who attended the event to get tested.


motherjones--2020-10-02--With COVID Hitting the West Wing, What Happens When the President Is a Liar?

One of the best weapons to deploy against a killer virus is accurate information—that is , the truth .
If the public is fully and well informed about the dangers and the best countermeasures , the better the chances this threat can be arrested .
Donald Trump , who with his wife , Melania , has tested positive for COVID-19 , recklessly chose not to adopt this fundamental strategy in the face of a pandemic that has claimed over 207,000 American lives and that has yet to be tamed .
You know the list : He downplayed the coronavirus ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he pronounced it was under control ( it wasn ’ t ) , he said it would miraculously disappear with warmer weather ( it didn ’ t ) , he promoted unproven and crackpot remedies ( bleach , light , and hydroxychloroquine ) , he denigrated the most basic means to stop the spread ( mask-wearing ) , and he refused to encourage safe practices ( holding rallies with thousands of unmasked supporters ) .
Trump has mounted a disinformation campaign since COVID-19 landed in the United States .
He has undercut and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ’ s public health experts .
He has fueled the passions of the misguided anti-maskers and provided ammo to fools who believe the pandemic is a hoax .
This week a Cornell University study that analyzed 38 million English-language articles about the coronavirus concluded that Trump was the largest driver of the “ infodemic.
” In other words , he is the chief spreader of the virus of disinformation .
That was hardly a shocker .
The Washington Post fact-checkers have chronicled over 20,000 false statements and lies from Trump since he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now when the coronavirus hits the West Wing , infects the president , a top aide , his wife , and perhaps others and triggers yet another crisis , a crucial element will be missing : trust .
Can the public believe anything Trump and his minions say about this latest development ?
Of course not .
Test results do speak for themselves—assuming they are reliably reported .
But many other questions—how these infections came to be , what is the president ’ s condition , who else may be at risk—need answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accept White House statements or Trump tweets on these and related matters .
A man who would lie about events that are publicly witnessed—the size of a crowd , a performance at a debate—would certainly lie about private affairs unseen by the voters .
Even if Trump doesn ’ t chose to lie at this moment , one result of his well-established reckless disregard for the truth is that whatever he says will be greeted with suspicion and skepticism .
As soon as the news of his positive COVID test was reported , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all a con : Trump did not have COVID but would soon declare a miraculous recovery and score political points .
Others suggested ( with no evidence at all ) this was a ruse for Trump to escape future debates .
That ’ s an extreme reaction to Trump ’ s long record of mendacity .
But less dramatic skepticism is always warranted with Trump , and Americans are right to wonder if they will receive factual information during this crisis .
Not surprisingly , the White House did not begin with transparency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hope Hicks had been diagnosed with COVID—and had recently been in contact with Trump—White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not share this information during a press briefing on Thursday .
And it was only after the news about Hicks was broken by Bloomberg ‘ s Jennifer Jacobs on Thursday night that the White House acknowledged it and then subsequently said Trump had tested positively .
Would it have told the public about the president otherwise ?
And had Trump and his campaign informed attendees at a New Jersey fundraiser on Thursday headlined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a COVID-positive aide ?
No .
( Trump traveled to his Bedminster country club for the event reportedly after learning of Hick ’ s condition . )
On Friday morning , the public learned that Trump had displayed symptoms at that fundraiser—lethargy and cold-like symptoms .
That information came not from the White House but from the New York Times .
Trump has been the least transparent president in decades , particularly regarding his health .
He has released incomplete medical records .
( Remember this guy ? )
He has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Walter Reed medical facility last November .
He lies constantly about everything , especially himself , claiming he has the best brain and the best memory .
It ’ s all cheap hucksterism .
When the public deserves the best and most accurate information about the greatest health threat to the United States in a century and about the man who is in charge of protecting the nation from that threat , the person in command is one of the world ’ s leading disinformation agents .
And given that Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win reelection—belittle a pandemic , appeal to racism , encourage confrontation and possible violence , make false charges of voting fraud , use Russian disinformation , debase the discourse , place his own supporters at risk , and crassly exploit the White House and US government agencies—there is no reason to expect he will be honest with the voters about any aspect of the White House coronavirus crisis .
But , worse for Trump , his deceitful ways , while they might still be of use politically , will not help him medically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He can not bullshit a virus .
There ’ s an old cliché—credited to Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis—that sunlight is the best disinfectant .
Trump has a dark soul and his White House is a dark place .
In such conditions , a virus can not be stopped .

One of the best weapons to deploy against a killer virus is accurate information—that is, the truth. If the public is fully and well informed about the dangers and the best countermeasures, the better the chances this threat can be arrested. Donald Trump, who with his wife, Melania, has tested positive for COVID-19, recklessly chose not to adopt this fundamental strategy in the face of a pandemic that has claimed over 207,000 American lives and that has yet to be tamed. You know the list: He downplayed the coronavirus (comparing it to the flu), he pronounced it was under control (it wasn’t), he said it would miraculously disappear with warmer weather (it didn’t), he promoted unproven and crackpot remedies (bleach, light, and hydroxychloroquine), he denigrated the most basic means to stop the spread (mask-wearing), and he refused to encourage safe practices (holding rallies with thousands of unmasked supporters).
Trump has mounted a disinformation campaign since COVID-19 landed in the United States. He has undercut and contradicted the guidance provided by his own government’s public health experts. He has fueled the passions of the misguided anti-maskers and provided ammo to fools who believe the pandemic is a hoax. This week a Cornell University study that analyzed 38 million English-language articles about the coronavirus concluded that Trump was the largest driver of the “infodemic.” In other words, he is the chief spreader of the virus of disinformation. That was hardly a shocker. The Washington Post fact-checkers have chronicled over 20,000 false statements and lies from Trump since he stepped into the White House.
So now when the coronavirus hits the West Wing, infects the president, a top aide, his wife, and perhaps others and triggers yet another crisis, a crucial element will be missing: trust. Can the public believe anything Trump and his minions say about this latest development? Of course not.
Test results do speak for themselves—assuming they are reliably reported. But many other questions—how these infections came to be, what is the president’s condition, who else may be at risk—need answers. And there is no reason to accept White House statements or Trump tweets on these and related matters. A man who would lie about events that are publicly witnessed—the size of a crowd, a performance at a debate—would certainly lie about private affairs unseen by the voters.
Even if Trump doesn’t chose to lie at this moment, one result of his well-established reckless disregard for the truth is that whatever he says will be greeted with suspicion and skepticism. As soon as the news of his positive COVID test was reported, folks on Twitter began speculating this was all a con: Trump did not have COVID but would soon declare a miraculous recovery and score political points. Others suggested (with no evidence at all) this was a ruse for Trump to escape future debates. That’s an extreme reaction to Trump’s long record of mendacity. But less dramatic skepticism is always warranted with Trump, and Americans are right to wonder if they will receive factual information during this crisis.
Not surprisingly, the White House did not begin with transparency. Though Trump’s key adviser Hope Hicks had been diagnosed with COVID—and had recently been in contact with Trump—White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not share this information during a press briefing on Thursday. And it was only after the news about Hicks was broken by Bloomberg‘s Jennifer Jacobs on Thursday night that the White House acknowledged it and then subsequently said Trump had tested positively. Would it have told the public about the president otherwise? And had Trump and his campaign informed attendees at a New Jersey fundraiser on Thursday headlined by Trump that he had recently interacted with a COVID-positive aide? No. (Trump traveled to his Bedminster country club for the event reportedly after learning of Hick’s condition.) On Friday morning, the public learned that Trump had displayed symptoms at that fundraiser—lethargy and cold-like symptoms. That information came not from the White House but from the New York Times.
Trump has been the least transparent president in decades, particularly regarding his health. He has released incomplete medical records. (Remember this guy?) He has not explained a mysterious trip he made to the Walter Reed medical facility last November. He lies constantly about everything, especially himself, claiming he has the best brain and the best memory. It’s all cheap hucksterism.
Video Related: Trump’s First 100 Days of Deadly Coronavirus Denial
When the public deserves the best and most accurate information about the greatest health threat to the United States in a century and about the man who is in charge of protecting the nation from that threat, the person in command is one of the world’s leading disinformation agents. And given that Trump has demonstrated he will do practically anything to win reelection—belittle a pandemic, appeal to racism, encourage confrontation and possible violence, make false charges of voting fraud, use Russian disinformation, debase the discourse, place his own supporters at risk, and crassly exploit the White House and US government agencies—there is no reason to expect he will be honest with the voters about any aspect of the White House coronavirus crisis. But, worse for Trump, his deceitful ways, while they might still be of use politically, will not help him medically. Trump can bullshit a nation. He cannot bullshit a virus. There’s an old cliché—credited to Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis—that sunlight is the best disinfectant. Trump has a dark soul and his White House is a dark place. In such conditions, a virus cannot be stopped.


motherjones--2020-10-03--Not Even a COVID Outbreak Will Stop the Senate GOP From Confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme

Not Even a COVID Outbreak Will Stop the Senate GOP From Confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court

After a week of maskless gatherings in Washington , three Republican senators have announced that they , like the president and a swath of his inner circle , have tested positive for COVID-19 .
Two of them—Sens .
Mike Lee ( R-Utah ) and Thom Tillis ( R-N.C. ) —serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee .
The alarming rate of new infections and the potential for widespread exposure among their Senate colleagues pushed majority leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) to suspend all Senate floor proceedings until October 19 .
The two week hiatus meets the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people exposed to the virus .
But these developments will not stop Senate Republicans in their rush to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
On Saturday , McConnell explained that the Senate ’ s retreat would have no bearing on his party ’ s plan to expedite Barrett ’ s confirmation .
The Judiciary Committee hearing on Barrett ’ s nomination , scheduled by Senate Judiciary chairman Sen. Lindsay Graham ( R-S.C. ) for October 12 in advance of a committee vote on October 22 , will proceed as planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schedule will not interrupt the thorough , fair , and historically supported confirmation process previously laid out by Chairman Graham , ” McConnell said , adding that the Judiciary Committee “ has operated flawlessly through a hybrid method that has seen some senators appear physically at its hearings while other members have participated virtually.
” Democrats on the committee disagreed .
Sen. Diane Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) , the leading Democrat on the committee , released a statement on Friday calling Graham ’ s decision “ premature ” when “ we do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” adding that virtual hearings for “ a lifetime appointment to the federal bench is not an acceptable substitute.
” All Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee reiterated those points on Saturday afternoon in a letter to Sen. Graham .
“ As Republican members of this Committee have recognized , questioning nominees by video is ineffective and ignores the gravity of our constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on lifetime appointments , particularly those to the nation ’ s highest court , ” the letter said .
Though the Senate has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic took root in March , the two judicial nominees it has confirmed over the last six months have had their committee hearings and votes conducted in person .
In fact , the Senate first returned from the extended recess it took at the beginning of the pandemic at the insistence of Senate Republicans eager to push through the nomination of Judge Justin Walker to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington .
Democrats are now crying foul at the decision to conduct judicial nominations remotely , after Republicans insisted on in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Senate has not confirmed any nominations or advanced legislation out of committee over Zoom .
So what could Senate Democrats do to stop Graham from moving forward ?
According to Senate Judiciary rules , the presence of nine committee members—including at least two from the the minority party—is required for transacting business , such as judicial confirmation proceedings .
If all Democratic members of the committee refuse to attend , a quorum wouldn ’ t be present .
But there are “ too many intangibles ” in this unprecedented moment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present , says Jim Manley , an aide to former Senate majority leader Harry Reid ( D-Nev. ) and an expert in Senate procedure .
“ It all depends , ” Manley says , “ on how much Graham is willing to bend the rules of the committee .
”

After a week of maskless gatherings in Washington, three Republican senators have announced that they, like the president and a swath of his inner circle, have tested positive for COVID-19. Two of them—Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)—serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The alarming rate of new infections and the potential for widespread exposure among their Senate colleagues pushed majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to suspend all Senate floor proceedings until October 19. The two week hiatus meets the Centers for Disease Control’s recommended 10-day isolation period for people exposed to the virus.
But these developments will not stop Senate Republicans in their rush to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
On Saturday, McConnell explained that the Senate’s retreat would have no bearing on his party’s plan to expedite Barrett’s confirmation. The Judiciary Committee hearing on Barrett’s nomination, scheduled by Senate Judiciary chairman Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) for October 12 in advance of a committee vote on October 22, will proceed as planned.
“The Senate’s floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair, and historically supported confirmation process previously laid out by Chairman Graham.”
“The Senate’s floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair, and historically supported confirmation process previously laid out by Chairman Graham,” McConnell said, adding that the Judiciary Committee “has operated flawlessly through a hybrid method that has seen some senators appear physically at its hearings while other members have participated virtually.”
Democrats on the committee disagreed. Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), the leading Democrat on the committee, released a statement on Friday calling Graham’s decision “premature” when “we do not know the full extent of potential exposure,” adding that virtual hearings for “a lifetime appointment to the federal bench is not an acceptable substitute.”
All Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee reiterated those points on Saturday afternoon in a letter to Sen. Graham. “As Republican members of this Committee have recognized, questioning nominees by video is ineffective and ignores the gravity of our constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on lifetime appointments, particularly those to the nation’s highest court,” the letter said.
Though the Senate has conducted some of its business remotely since the pandemic took root in March, the two judicial nominees it has confirmed over the last six months have had their committee hearings and votes conducted in person. In fact, the Senate first returned from the extended recess it took at the beginning of the pandemic at the insistence of Senate Republicans eager to push through the nomination of Judge Justin Walker to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. Democrats are now crying foul at the decision to conduct judicial nominations remotely, after Republicans insisted on in-person hearings earlier this year. So far, the Senate has not confirmed any nominations or advanced legislation out of committee over Zoom.
So what could Senate Democrats do to stop Graham from moving forward? According to Senate Judiciary rules, the presence of nine committee members—including at least two from the the minority party—is required for transacting business, such as judicial confirmation proceedings. If all Democratic members of the committee refuse to attend, a quorum wouldn’t be present. But there are “too many intangibles” in this unprecedented moment to say whether Graham might proceed without Democrats present, says Jim Manley, an aide to former Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and an expert in Senate procedure. “It all depends,” Manley says, “on how much Graham is willing to bend the rules of the committee.”


motherjones--2020-10-03--More Than 1,500 Alums From Barrett’s College “Firmly and Passionately” Oppose Her SCOTUS Nomination

When President Donald Trump announced that 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett was his nominee to fill the seat on the Supreme Court vacated after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnaney referred to her as a “ Rhodes scholar.
” This , of course , suggests that Barrett was one of a handful of brilliant young college graduates who received the prestigious and highly competitive fellowship to study at Oxford University in England .
Notable recipients include Senator Corey Booker ( D-N.J. ) , former Democratic presidential hopeful Pete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
McEnaney may have been wrong about that status—prompting a rare “ my bad ” from the press secretary—but technically she was also correct .
Barrett did graduate magna cum laude in the class of 1994 from Rhodes , a small liberal arts college in Memphis , Tennessee .
Initially , her nomination was greeted with enthusiasm by college president Marjorie Hass , who said Barrett embodied how Rhodes College put graduates “ on a path to professional success at the highest levels.
” But last week , more than 1,500 people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” sent a strong letter of protest to Hass , outlining their concerns about Barrett ’ s nomination .
The three-page letter frames their objections to Barrett ’ s record and the way her nomination has been handled as being “ diametrically opposed to the values of truth , loyalty , and service ” that are emblazoned on the college seal .
“ [ D ] espite the respect that many of us hold for her intellect , and even the friendship that may of us held or continue to hold with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her nomination , ” the letter states .
In the category of “ Truth , ” the authors express concern about her obfuscation “ when it was convenient for the advancement of her judicial career , about issues central to the personal autonomy of Rhodes alumni .
This is particularly true of issues related to Rhodes LGBTQ and female alumni.
” They describe her avoidance of direct questions concerning challenges to the foundational 1973 abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade and her association with an anti-LGBTQ organization , the Alliance Defending Freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with facts about ADF ’ s past advocacy against LGBTQ people around the world , ” the letters notes , “ Judge Barrett , in her 2017 Senate confirmation hearing , attempted to deflect questions about it.
” She does no better when it comes to loyalty , the writers state , pointing to Barrett ’ s insistence after the death of her mentor , Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia , that “ it would be inappropriate for a Democratic nominee to replace the ultra-conservative Scalia in an election year because it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ on the Court.
” No such lofty standard appears to have held her back regarding her own nomination less than two months before the 2020 presidential election .
Finally , she “ also fails the test of Rhodes values when it comes to service.
” This was the most extensive area of concern , focusing on her decisions as a 7th Circuit judge concerning the Affordable Care Act , the rights of a Yemeni immigrant seeking a visa to the US , her dissent from an opinion concerning a defendant ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorney was not permitted to speak during a pre-trial hearing , ” and her tendency to favor corporate interests over those that protect the public .
Rhodes president Hass responded to the letter and encouraged “ all members of the Rhodes community to rise to this moment with courage and to speak , act , and vote in the service of justice .
I hope that your letter—as well as the support , dissent , and attention it has generated—serves as a spur for robust engagement with the political process .
We expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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When President Donald Trump announced that 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett was his nominee to fill the seat on the Supreme Court vacated after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnaney referred to her as a “Rhodes scholar.”
This, of course, suggests that Barrett was one of a handful of brilliant young college graduates who received the prestigious and highly competitive fellowship to study at Oxford University in England. Notable recipients include Senator Corey Booker (D-N.J.), former Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg, and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.
McEnaney may have been wrong about that status—prompting a rare “my bad” from the press secretary—but technically she was also correct. Barrett did graduate magna cum laude in the class of 1994 from Rhodes, a small liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, her nomination was greeted with enthusiasm by college president Marjorie Hass, who said Barrett embodied how Rhodes College put graduates “on a path to professional success at the highest levels.”
But last week, more than 1,500 people who describe themselves as “proud Rhodes alumni” sent a strong letter of protest to Hass, outlining their concerns about Barrett’s nomination. The three-page letter frames their objections to Barrett’s record and the way her nomination has been handled as being “diametrically opposed to the values of truth, loyalty, and service” that are emblazoned on the college seal.
“[D]espite the respect that many of us hold for her intellect, and even the friendship that may of us held or continue to hold with her, we are firmly and passionately opposed to her nomination,” the letter states.
In the category of “Truth,” the authors express concern about her obfuscation “when it was convenient for the advancement of her judicial career, about issues central to the personal autonomy of Rhodes alumni. This is particularly true of issues related to Rhodes LGBTQ and female alumni.” They describe her avoidance of direct questions concerning challenges to the foundational 1973 abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade and her association with an anti-LGBTQ organization, the Alliance Defending Freedom. “[W]hen confronted with facts about ADF’s past advocacy against LGBTQ people around the world,” the letters notes, “Judge Barrett, in her 2017 Senate confirmation hearing, attempted to deflect questions about it.”
She does no better when it comes to loyalty, the writers state, pointing to Barrett’s insistence after the death of her mentor, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, that “it would be inappropriate for a Democratic nominee to replace the ultra-conservative Scalia in an election year because it would ‘dramatically flip the balance of power’ on the Court.” No such lofty standard appears to have held her back regarding her own nomination less than two months before the 2020 presidential election.
Finally, she “also fails the test of Rhodes values when it comes to service.” This was the most extensive area of concern, focusing on her decisions as a 7th Circuit judge concerning the Affordable Care Act, the rights of a Yemeni immigrant seeking a visa to the US, her dissent from an opinion concerning a defendant’s right to counsel, “when his attorney was not permitted to speak during a pre-trial hearing,” and her tendency to favor corporate interests over those that protect the public.
Rhodes president Hass responded to the letter and encouraged “all members of the Rhodes community to rise to this moment with courage and to speak, act, and vote in the service of justice. I hope that your letter—as well as the support, dissent, and attention it has generated—serves as a spur for robust engagement with the political process. We expect nothing less from our alumni.”


motherjones--2020-10-03--WH Physician’s Briefing Leaves Serious Questions About When Trump Tested Positive for COVID-19

White House physician Sean Conley said they were “ extremely happy with the progress the president has made ” since President Donald Trump was moved to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday to be treated for COVID-19 .
But the briefing he and the team of doctors treating Trump gave on Saturday left a number of unanswered questions as to the precise nature of his condition—and raised others as to whether the White House has been truthful about the timing of Trump ’ s diagnosis .
One of the most serious questions from the briefing was the way in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s diagnosis and treatment didn ’ t match up with what previous official reports had indicated about the timeline of the his condition .
Trump tweeted that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 around 1 a.m. on Friday morning .
But Conley said that , as of the briefing on Saturday , the president had been 72 hours into his diagnosis .
Another doctor treating Trump who spoke at the briefing said that the president had been administered a Regeneron antibody cocktail , an experimental treatment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House press release announced that it had been administered after the president ’ s positive test—which , according to Conley had occurred on Thursday evening .
Nor would Conley answer when the president had his last negative coronavirus test , saying only that the president had been tested after news that Hope Hicks , the president ’ s senior aide , had tested positive for the virus on Thursday .
He did not indicate the results of any tests potentially administered to the president in advance of Tuesday ’ s debate against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Minnesota—an appearance that was nearly half as long as his usual events .
According to Conley , Trump has been “ fever free ” for over 24 hours , and the symptoms the president had—which included shortness of breath and a cough—are “ resolving and improving.
” His medical team is encouraging him to eat , drink , stay hydrated— “ working to do the things he needs to do to get well.
” The president reportedly said he felt like he could “ walk out of here today , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team .
But for all the optimism , there have been reports that Trump , in fact , could not “ walk out ” today .
After the press conference , the White House press pool received a quote from “ a source familiar with the President ’ s health ” that said Trump ’ s “ vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning , and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.
” The unnamed source added that he is “ still not on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( New York ‘ s Olivia Nuzzi noted that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was caught on camera asking to brief reporters off-the-record after the press conference was over , but before the anonymous quote was sent out . )
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted that two sources had told her Trump ’ s blood oxygen levels dropped on Friday .
Reporters repeatedly asked Conley if the president was receiving supplemental oxygen , a treatment that typically indicates a worsening condition .
Once more , Conley ’ s answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president is not currently on oxygen , but he would not confirm that the president never received any supplemental oxygen during the course of his treatment .
When pressed for an answer , Conley said , “ He was not on oxygen when the team visited him yesterday ” at Walter Reed .
The AP reported that the president had received supplemental oxygen on Friday , before he was transported to Walter Reed Medical Center .
When Conley was asked if the president was receiving steroids , the physician cut off the briefing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Walter Reed was announced amidst reports that his condition had been worsening .
Conley insisted that moving the president there was “ as a precautionary measure ” to provide “ state-of-the-art monitoring.
” The White House said on Saturday morning that the president had begun receiving Remdesivir , an anti-viral medication .
Conley said Trump would receive Remdesivir ’ s full five-day treatment course , as well as additional treatment including Regeneron , zinc , and aspirin .
Neither Regeneron and Remdesivir , nor any other treatments , have been officially approved by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still considered to be an experimental treatment and is in clinical trials .
It is administered to patients under the FDA ’ s “ compassionate use ” guidelines , which allows doctors to administer such drugs on a case-by-case basis .
The company reported in a recent press release that it has been shown to diminish COVID-19 symptoms and reduce a patient ’ s viral load .
Remdesivir recently received the FDA ’ s emergency authorization for use in severe cases of COVID-19 .
The decision to give him both treatments so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made in the event there was “ any possibility it would add value to his care and expedite his recovery.
” As to when Trump would leave Walter Reed , Conley would not say , noting only that the “ first week is the most critical ” in determining the severity of the illness .
He noted that the “ advanced therapies ” the president had been given made it difficult to say where he was on the course of recovery .
“ Every day we ’ re evaluating ‘ Does he need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
As reporters began to piece together the discrepancies in the timelines provided by Conley and White House , Wall Street Journal reporter Rebecca Ballhaus said a White House official corrected Conley : “ He says Conley meant to say it ’ s Day 3 , not 72 hours in—the diagnosis was made Thursday night—and that Garibaldi meant to say it ’ s been two days , not 48 hours , since the Regeneron was administered on Thursday night , ” she tweeted .
But the conflicting information asks the public to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the word of the White House , neither of whom have demonstrated much openness or credibility regarding the president ’ s health .
You can watch the full briefing here .

White House physician Sean Conley said they were “extremely happy with the progress the president has made” since President Donald Trump was moved to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday to be treated for COVID-19. But the briefing he and the team of doctors treating Trump gave on Saturday left a number of unanswered questions as to the precise nature of his condition—and raised others as to whether the White House has been truthful about the timing of Trump’s diagnosis.
One of the most serious questions from the briefing was the way in which Conley’s description of the president’s diagnosis and treatment didn’t match up with what previous official reports had indicated about the timeline of the his condition. Trump tweeted that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 around 1 a.m. on Friday morning. But Conley said that, as of the briefing on Saturday, the president had been 72 hours into his diagnosis. Another doctor treating Trump who spoke at the briefing said that the president had been administered a Regeneron antibody cocktail, an experimental treatment, 48 hours before, even though a White House press release announced that it had been administered after the president’s positive test—which, according to Conley had occurred on Thursday evening.
Nor would Conley answer when the president had his last negative coronavirus test, saying only that the president had been tested after news that Hope Hicks, the president’s senior aide, had tested positive for the virus on Thursday. He did not indicate the results of any tests potentially administered to the president in advance of Tuesday’s debate against Joe Biden or his Wednesday campaign rally in Minnesota—an appearance that was nearly half as long as his usual events.
According to Conley, Trump has been “fever free” for over 24 hours, and the symptoms the president had—which included shortness of breath and a cough—are “resolving and improving.” His medical team is encouraging him to eat, drink, stay hydrated— “working to do the things he needs to do to get well.” The president reportedly said he felt like he could “walk out of here today,” according to one of the doctors on his team.
But for all the optimism, there have been reports that Trump, in fact, could not “walk out” today. After the press conference, the White House press pool received a quote from “a source familiar with the President’s health” that said Trump’s “vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning, and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.” The unnamed source added that he is “still not on a clear path to a full recovery.” (New York‘s Olivia Nuzzi noted that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was caught on camera asking to brief reporters off-the-record after the press conference was over, but before the anonymous quote was sent out.)
The WH TV pool just received this quote from “a source familiar with the President's health…” – “The President's vitals over last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We are still not on a clear path to a full recovery." — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) October 3, 2020
UPDATE: Immediately after the press conference ended and before the anonymous statement was sent out, Mark Meadows briefed reporters without cameras—but he was caught on a feed asking to be off the record. pic.twitter.com/JyrhSmu1Y0 — Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) October 3, 2020
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted that two sources had told her Trump’s blood oxygen levels dropped on Friday.
Conley very specifically not answering whether POTUS has been on oxygen at any point. Two sources close to POTUS tell me his blood oxygen levels dropped yesterday. — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 3, 2020
Reporters repeatedly asked Conley if the president was receiving supplemental oxygen, a treatment that typically indicates a worsening condition. Once more, Conley’s answers were evasive. He replied that the president is not currently on oxygen, but he would not confirm that the president never received any supplemental oxygen during the course of his treatment. When pressed for an answer, Conley said, “He was not on oxygen when the team visited him yesterday” at Walter Reed. The AP reported that the president had received supplemental oxygen on Friday, before he was transported to Walter Reed Medical Center. When Conley was asked if the president was receiving steroids, the physician cut off the briefing.
The decision to transport Trump to Walter Reed was announced amidst reports that his condition had been worsening. Conley insisted that moving the president there was “as a precautionary measure” to provide “state-of-the-art monitoring.” The White House said on Saturday morning that the president had begun receiving Remdesivir, an anti-viral medication. Conley said Trump would receive Remdesivir’s full five-day treatment course, as well as additional treatment including Regeneron, zinc, and aspirin.
Neither Regeneron and Remdesivir, nor any other treatments, have been officially approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19. Regeneron is still considered to be an experimental treatment and is in clinical trials. It is administered to patients under the FDA’s “compassionate use” guidelines, which allows doctors to administer such drugs on a case-by-case basis. The company reported in a recent press release that it has been shown to diminish COVID-19 symptoms and reduce a patient’s viral load. Remdesivir recently received the FDA’s emergency authorization for use in severe cases of COVID-19. The decision to give him both treatments so early, according to Conley, was made in the event there was “any possibility it would add value to his care and expedite his recovery.”
As to when Trump would leave Walter Reed, Conley would not say, noting only that the “first week is the most critical” in determining the severity of the illness. He noted that the “advanced therapies” the president had been given made it difficult to say where he was on the course of recovery. “Every day we’re evaluating ‘Does he need to be here?'” Conley said.
As reporters began to piece together the discrepancies in the timelines provided by Conley and White House, Wall Street Journal reporter Rebecca Ballhaus said a White House official corrected Conley: “He says Conley meant to say it’s Day 3, not 72 hours in—the diagnosis was made Thursday night—and that Garibaldi meant to say it’s been two days, not 48 hours, since the Regeneron was administered on Thursday night,” she tweeted.
But the conflicting information asks the public to choose between the word of a doctor and the word of the White House, neither of whom have demonstrated much openness or credibility regarding the president’s health.
You can watch the full briefing here.


motherjones--2020-10-03--How the GOP Turned Washington, DC, Into a COVID Hotspot

The White House ceremony to honor Amy Coney Barrett ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court on September 26 was supposed to be the kickoff for the capstone achievement of President Donald Trump ’ s first term .
Trump ’ s bungled response to the pandemic had been looming over his reelection bid and threatened to take much of his party down with him .
But the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg had reset the terms of the election to turf Republicans like best : Lifetime judicial appointments of conservative justices to the nation ’ s highest court .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the ceremony vanished in a record-scratching halt .
The Thursday announcement that former White House communications director Hope Hicks had tested positive for COVID-19 was just the starting point for a series of coronavirus diagnoses among Trump ’ s inner circle and GOP allies including , of course , the president himself .
Vice President Mike Pence has , so far , twice tested negative for the virus .
Many of them had been in close quarters at Barrett ’ s ceremony .
While the public festivities were held outdoors in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarters at indoor receptions throughout the day .
In the days since , those GOP insiders have gone about their business on Capitol Hill , in the White House , and on the campaign trail—nearly always maskless .
The spread of the virus now threatens to cripple both the president ’ s campaign in the final weeks of the race and Republican efforts to rush Barrett through the judicial nomination process .
On Friday night , Senate Judiciary chairman Sen. Lindsay Graham ( R-S.C. ) insisted that confirmation hearings would commence as planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican members of the committee have tested positive for the disease .
The precarious moment now facing the GOP has occurred only because they have followed Trump ’ s example throughout the course of the pandemic : Ignoring the science and flouting the rules .
Here ’ s a list of all of the Republicans who have tested positive for coronavirus since last Saturday : Hope Hicks : On Thursday , Bloomberg reported that former White House communications director and current senior aide was the first of Trump ’ s inner circle to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in close proximity to the president and his campaign staff during prep sessions in advance of Trump ’ s debate against Joe Biden last Tuesday and traveled with the president to and from his campaign rally in Minnesota on Wednesday night .
President Donald Trump : President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus on Twitter early Friday morning .
Reports suggested his condition had worsened throughout the day , and , on Friday night , he was flown by helicopter to Walter Reed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for treatment and monitoring .
The president is being treated with an experimental Regeneron antibody cocktail and remdesivir , an anti-viral medication recently approved by the FDA to treat severe cases of COVID-19 .
First Lady Melania Trump : The White House said in a statement that the first lady “ remains well ” with only a mild cough and a headache .
No other member of the Trump family has tested positive thus far .
Sen. Mike Lee ( R-Utah ) : Lee is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and confirmations .
He announced that he tested positive on Thursday after experiencing “ allergy-like ” symptoms .
He had attended the Rose Garden ceremony last Saturday , where he was seen hugging several guests .
He has been in several meetings with fellow senators on Capitol Hill since .
Sen. Thom Tillis ( R-N.C. ) : Tillis , another member of the Senate Judiciary Committee , had also been at the Rose Garden ceremony at the White House last weekend .
He does not have any symptoms but will self-isolate for 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the former White House adviser alerted the world to her mother ’ s diagnosis via TikTok on Friday night .
Conway had been at both Barrett ’ s Rose Garden ceremony and in debate prep sessions with the president .
Bill Stepien : Politico reported that Trump ’ s campaign manager had tested positive for the virus on Friday after experiencing “ flu-like ” symptoms .
Stepien announced that he will remain in quarantine until he recovers ; deputy campaign manager Justin Clark will oversee Trump ’ s campaign headquarters in Arlington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the helm remotely .
Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-Wisc . )
: Johnson announced he had tested positive for the virus on Saturday morning .
According to a spokesperson , he had been exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus on September 29 in Washington .
His exposure and diagnosis came at the end of a two-week quarantine Johnson had completed after being previously exposed to the virus on September 14 .
Chris Christie : The former New Jersey governor and Trump adviser announced Saturday morning that he had tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager Bill Stepien , Christie was one of the inner circle who prepared the president for his debate against former Vice President Joe Biden .
We will be updating this story .

The White House ceremony to honor Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court on September 26 was supposed to be the kickoff for the capstone achievement of President Donald Trump’s first term. Trump’s bungled response to the pandemic had been looming over his reelection bid and threatened to take much of his party down with him. But the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg had reset the terms of the election to turf Republicans like best: Lifetime judicial appointments of conservative justices to the nation’s highest court.
But one week later, any lingering optimism from the ceremony vanished in a record-scratching halt. The Thursday announcement that former White House communications director Hope Hicks had tested positive for COVID-19 was just the starting point for a series of coronavirus diagnoses among Trump’s inner circle and GOP allies including, of course, the president himself. Vice President Mike Pence has, so far, twice tested negative for the virus.
Many of them had been in close quarters at Barrett’s ceremony. While the public festivities were held outdoors in the Rose Garden, attendees mingled in close quarters at indoor receptions throughout the day. In the days since, those GOP insiders have gone about their business on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and on the campaign trail—nearly always maskless.
The spread of the virus now threatens to cripple both the president’s campaign in the final weeks of the race and Republican efforts to rush Barrett through the judicial nomination process. On Friday night, Senate Judiciary chairman Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) insisted that confirmation hearings would commence as planned on October 12, even though two Republican members of the committee have tested positive for the disease. The precarious moment now facing the GOP has occurred only because they have followed Trump’s example throughout the course of the pandemic: Ignoring the science and flouting the rules.
Here’s a list of all of the Republicans who have tested positive for coronavirus since last Saturday:
Hope Hicks: On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that former White House communications director and current senior aide was the first of Trump’s inner circle to receive a positive diagnosis. She had been in close proximity to the president and his campaign staff during prep sessions in advance of Trump’s debate against Joe Biden last Tuesday and traveled with the president to and from his campaign rally in Minnesota on Wednesday night.
President Donald Trump: President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the virus on Twitter early Friday morning. Reports suggested his condition had worsened throughout the day, and, on Friday night, he was flown by helicopter to Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for treatment and monitoring. The president is being treated with an experimental Regeneron antibody cocktail and remdesivir, an anti-viral medication recently approved by the FDA to treat severe cases of COVID-19.
First Lady Melania Trump: The White House said in a statement that the first lady “remains well” with only a mild cough and a headache. No other member of the Trump family has tested positive thus far.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah): Lee is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the congressional body that oversees judicial nominations and confirmations. He announced that he tested positive on Thursday after experiencing “allergy-like” symptoms. He had attended the Rose Garden ceremony last Saturday, where he was seen hugging several guests. He has been in several meetings with fellow senators on Capitol Hill since.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.): Tillis, another member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, had also been at the Rose Garden ceremony at the White House last weekend. He does not have any symptoms but will self-isolate for 10 days.
Kellyanne Conway: The daughter of the former White House adviser alerted the world to her mother’s diagnosis via TikTok on Friday night. Conway had been at both Barrett’s Rose Garden ceremony and in debate prep sessions with the president.
Bill Stepien: Politico reported that Trump’s campaign manager had tested positive for the virus on Friday after experiencing “flu-like” symptoms. Stepien announced that he will remain in quarantine until he recovers; deputy campaign manager Justin Clark will oversee Trump’s campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, though Stepien will remain at the helm remotely.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.): Johnson announced he had tested positive for the virus on Saturday morning. According to a spokesperson, he had been exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus on September 29 in Washington. His exposure and diagnosis came at the end of a two-week quarantine Johnson had completed after being previously exposed to the virus on September 14.
Chris Christie: The former New Jersey governor and Trump adviser announced Saturday morning that he had tested positive. With Hope Hicks and campaign manager Bill Stepien, Christie was one of the inner circle who prepared the president for his debate against former Vice President Joe Biden.
I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two. I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition. — Governor Christie (@GovChristie) October 3, 2020
We will be updating this story.