vox--2020-10-07--How Mike Pence enabled Donald Trump’s botched Covid-19 response

Vice President Mike Pence went into Wednesday ’ s vice presidential debate versus Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) with a big stain on his record : his prominent leadership role in the White House ’ s failed response to Covid-19 .
“ The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country , ” Harris said , referring to Trump and Pence ’ s approach to Covid-19 .
Starting in February , Pence was made the head of the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic on a day-to-day basis .
This put Pence in a leadership position for everything dealing with the coronavirus : testing , scaling up production and distribution of protective equipment , creating public health guidelines , spurring production of a vaccine , and so on — none of which , save the potential future success of a vaccine , went well .
Pence and the task force still answered to President Donald Trump .
As Pence ’ s chief of staff , Marc Short , said upon Pence ’ s appointment : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of his close relationship to the president .
Basically there ’ s no confusion that the president ’ s in charge.
” It was an admission that Pence would be a yes-man , spearheading and implementing Trump ’ s Covid-19 agenda — an agenda that has focused on downplaying the pandemic and urging the country to reopen rather than containing a disease that ’ s so far killed more than 210,000 Americans .
Pence is “ basically just a parrot for the president , ” Céline Gounder , an epidemiologist at New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told me .
“ He just comes across as a more sane adult.
” At first , Pence ’ s position put him at the forefront of the Trump administration ’ s botched rollout of coronavirus tests .
The White House effectively punted the issue down to the states and private sector , calling the federal government merely “ a supplier of last resort ” — which the New York Times described as “ perhaps one of the greatest failures of presidential leadership in generations.
” Pence claimed “ any American could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days later that “ we don ’ t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.
” The US struggled for months to build up testing — it still doesn ’ t have enough , many experts argue — and Pence was often the public face of that failure , like when he had to call governors to talk them down from fiercely criticizing the administration .
As the epidemic continued , Pence ’ s positions were often an echo of Trump ’ s .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pence called on states to implement phased reopening plans .
When Trump denied coronavirus cases were spiking over the summer , Pence said the rise was a result of more testing and wrote an op-ed titled “ There Isn ’ t a Coronavirus ‘ Second Wave ’ ” — an argument that was proven wrong within weeks .
As Trump attempted to bend public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do his political bidding , Pence ’ s staff led the push to get the CDC to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The results speak for themselves .
More than 210,000 people have died from Covid-19 so far in the US — the highest death toll in the world .
Among developed countries , the US has the fourth-highest death rate relative to its population , with America recently surpassing the UK as more than 700 Americans continue dying of the coronavirus each day .
Much of this is , of course , on Trump and his erratic leadership .
( The White House didn ’ t respond to a request for comment . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s response , as the chair of the White House task force and a constant advocate for the president .
So far , Pence hasn ’ t publicly criticized the administration ’ s response to Covid-19 once — but he has defended it plenty as one of the administration ’ s leaders on this issue .
He is as close to this mess as anyone but Trump can get .
Pence was a leader in Trump ’ s failed response to Covid-19 Trump ’ s failures on Covid-19 are now well-known .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen quickly despite experts ’ warnings .
He ’ s pushed for less testing .
He ’ s mocked masks and often refused to wear one — even after falling sick with the virus himself .
And even as he deals with his own case of Covid-19 , he ’ s continued to downplay the virus , doing everything in his power to push a message that America is back to normal in order to boost his reelection chances .
But much of the behind-the-scenes work that ’ s enabled Trump and implemented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House ’ s task force — led by the vice president .
Trump summarized the setup at the time of Pence ’ s appointment : “ Mike is going to be in charge , and Mike will report back to me.
” As the coronavirus became a more prominent threat in the US over February , and as the country struggled to build up testing in what experts now call a “ lost month , ” the Trump administration scrambled to right its response .
The White House put Pence in charge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not clear why , given Pence ’ s bad record on public health issues .
When he was governor of Indiana , parts of the state saw spikes in HIV cases , largely because Pence refused to allow needle exchanges — a public health intervention with decades of evidence behind it — in the state .
The epidemic only subsided once Pence , under public and expert pressure , eventually gave in and allowed needle exchanges .
Before that , in 2001 , Pence wrote an op-ed claiming that “ smoking doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of scientific evidence proving otherwise .
One of Pence ’ s first tasks on the coronavirus task force was to muzzle officials that contradicted Trump ’ s positive spin .
For much of February , Trump claimed that the US had kept the coronavirus under control and even said at one point that it would soon disappear “ like a miracle.
” But a CDC official , Nancy Messonnier , on February 25 contradicted Trump ’ s magical thinking , telling reporters that Americans should prepare for community spread of the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ disruption to everyday life might be severe.
” It was the right call , as we now know , but the negative outlook reportedly angered Trump .
Two days later , the New York Times reported , the White House moved to take control of public messaging on the coronavirus , requiring federal public health officials and scientists to “ coordinate all statements and public appearances with the office of Vice President Mike Pence.
” From then on , the bulk of federal communication came from the White House press conferences , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials like Anthony Fauci to Trump musing about injecting bleach as a Covid-19 treatment .
The dynamic — Trump pushing for something and Pence or his task force making it happen — has continued throughout the pandemic .
As the summer ’ s coronavirus surge began , Trump and his administration pushed back on the possibility of a spike , arguing that any increase was an artifact of more tests picking up more cases .
Pence put that into writing in his op-ed denying a “ second wave , ” boasting that Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US in “ a testament to the leadership of President Trump.
” Within days , it was clear that Covid-19 cases were rising .
Within weeks , the US hit records for daily new coronavirus cases as new outbreaks popped up in Southern and Western states , particularly , Arizona , Florida , and Texas , and eventually the rest of the country .
Even with these outbreaks in the background , Trump continued his demands that states reopen quickly .
That included schools , with Trump publicly criticizing the CDC ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough ” and “ expensive.
” Once again , Pence dutifully implemented what Trump asked for : As the Times reported , Pence ’ s staff , including his chief of staff , pressured the CDC to relax its guidelines .
The agency eventually gave in .
In a similar scenario , Trump said he told his people to “ slow the testing down , please , ” because , in his view , more tests made the US look bad .
It ’ s unclear how personally involved Pence was in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch , the White House task force pushed the CDC to in effect recommend less testing : The agency no longer said people without symptoms should get tested if they come into close contact with someone known to have Covid-19 .
The CDC later reversed course — once again recommending testing for people without symptoms — after experts nearly universally condemned the politically motivated change .
On masks , Pence has similarly imitated Trump , refusing to wear masks at meetings and campaign events , including those in states where masks are supposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s coronavirus epidemic could still get worse The result of Trump and Pence ’ s leadership : The US leads the world in Covid-19 deaths .
If you control for population , the country is still among the worst : The US is now in the top 15 percent for Covid-19 deaths per capita among developed nations , with seven times the death rate as the median wealthy country .
If the US had the same Covid-19 death rate as Canada , more than 125,000 more Americans would likely be alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US is still extremely vulnerable to the coronavirus — something underlined by Trump ’ s infection , confirmed last week .
( Pence has so far avoided the same fate , testing negative multiple times . )
Experts also warn that the US should brace itself for a potential surge of the virus this fall and winter .
School reopenings are already leading to some large outbreaks , particularly in colleges and universities .
The cold in northern parts of the country will push people inside , where the virus has an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Friends and family will likely come together for holidays such as Thanksgiving , Christmas , and New Year ’ s Eve .
On top of all that , another flu season may be around the corner .
The US is vulnerable to all of this because the federal government , under Trump and Pence , has done such a poor job responding to Covid-19 .
The US still doesn ’ t have enough tests — with a positive rate of 5 percent only meeting the bare minimum experts recommend and above the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Contact tracing is nonexistent in much of the country , with experts estimating the number of contact tracers nationwide is less than half of what it needs to be .
Americans ’ adherence to masking is still spotty , with 17 states still not mandating masks .
Cities , counties , and states are now reopening high-risk settings , such as bars and indoor dining , under pressure from Trump , Pence , and other Republican leaders .
Given all of this , some experts worry that the worst is yet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fall is likely going to shoot way up , ” Michael Osterholm , director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy , told me .
“ Likely well beyond 65,000 , 70,000 ” — the summer ’ s previous peak .
“ I think this fall is going to be the biggest spike of all.
” This isn ’ t because the answers to Covid-19 are unknown .
The solutions are all the things that experts have called for again and again throughout the pandemic : social distancing , testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s what the research supports , and what the experience of places ranging from San Francisco to New York to Germany and South Korea shows .
“ It ’ s not rocket science .
It ’ s not that we need some new thing that hasn ’ t been thought of before , ” Jen Kates , director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation , told me .
“ There are things that have been done in some cases , or can be done .
But if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role … that could really make a difference .
It ’ s happened in other countries.
” By failing to adequately support these policies , Trump and Pence have left America with one of the worst Covid-19 epidemics in the world , and on very shaky ground as the risk of fall and winter coronavirus surges looms .
Despite this , the Trump administration hasn ’ t shown a willingness to change its approach .
Even after Trump got sick with Covid-19 , he and his staff have continued pushing the idea that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life.
” Pence has also downplayed the need for stricter measures , down to plexiglass at the vice presidential debate , as the White House does everything it can to avoid reminding people that the coronavirus is still very much around .
It ’ s this record , one in which Pence consistently stuck with Trump ’ s botched response , that followed the vice president at Wednesday ’ s debate .
Help keep Vox free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
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Vice President Mike Pence went into Wednesday’s vice presidential debate versus Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) with a big stain on his record: his prominent leadership role in the White House’s failed response to Covid-19.
“The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said, referring to Trump and Pence’s approach to Covid-19.
Starting in February, Pence was made the head of the White House’s coronavirus task force, which was charged with coordinating the federal response to the pandemic on a day-to-day basis. This put Pence in a leadership position for everything dealing with the coronavirus: testing, scaling up production and distribution of protective equipment, creating public health guidelines, spurring production of a vaccine, and so on — none of which, save the potential future success of a vaccine, went well.
Pence and the task force still answered to President Donald Trump. As Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, said upon Pence’s appointment: “He is uniquely qualified for this because of his close relationship to the president. Basically there’s no confusion that the president’s in charge.”
It was an admission that Pence would be a yes-man, spearheading and implementing Trump’s Covid-19 agenda — an agenda that has focused on downplaying the pandemic and urging the country to reopen rather than containing a disease that’s so far killed more than 210,000 Americans.
Pence is “basically just a parrot for the president,” Céline Gounder, an epidemiologist at New York University and CNN medical analyst, told me. “He just comes across as a more sane adult.”
At first, Pence’s position put him at the forefront of the Trump administration’s botched rollout of coronavirus tests. The White House effectively punted the issue down to the states and private sector, calling the federal government merely “a supplier of last resort” — which the New York Times described as “perhaps one of the greatest failures of presidential leadership in generations.”
Pence claimed “any American could be tested” in March only to acknowledge days later that “we don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.” The US struggled for months to build up testing — it still doesn’t have enough, many experts argue — and Pence was often the public face of that failure, like when he had to call governors to talk them down from fiercely criticizing the administration.
As the epidemic continued, Pence’s positions were often an echo of Trump’s. When Trump pushed for places to reopen quickly, Pence called on states to implement phased reopening plans. When Trump denied coronavirus cases were spiking over the summer, Pence said the rise was a result of more testing and wrote an op-ed titled “There Isn’t a Coronavirus ‘Second Wave’” — an argument that was proven wrong within weeks. As Trump attempted to bend public health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do his political bidding, Pence’s staff led the push to get the CDC to loosen its guidelines for reopening schools.
The results speak for themselves. More than 210,000 people have died from Covid-19 so far in the US — the highest death toll in the world. Among developed countries, the US has the fourth-highest death rate relative to its population, with America recently surpassing the UK as more than 700 Americans continue dying of the coronavirus each day.
Much of this is, of course, on Trump and his erratic leadership. (The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment.)
But Pence closely tied himself to Trump’s response, as the chair of the White House task force and a constant advocate for the president. So far, Pence hasn’t publicly criticized the administration’s response to Covid-19 once — but he has defended it plenty as one of the administration’s leaders on this issue.
He is as close to this mess as anyone but Trump can get.
Pence was a leader in Trump’s failed response to Covid-19
Trump’s failures on Covid-19 are now well-known. He’s called for states to reopen quickly despite experts’ warnings. He’s pushed for less testing. He’s mocked masks and often refused to wear one — even after falling sick with the virus himself. And even as he deals with his own case of Covid-19, he’s continued to downplay the virus, doing everything in his power to push a message that America is back to normal in order to boost his reelection chances.
But much of the behind-the-scenes work that’s enabled Trump and implemented his agenda was done by the White House’s task force — led by the vice president. Trump summarized the setup at the time of Pence’s appointment: “Mike is going to be in charge, and Mike will report back to me.”
As the coronavirus became a more prominent threat in the US over February, and as the country struggled to build up testing in what experts now call a “lost month,” the Trump administration scrambled to right its response. The White House put Pence in charge of fixing the mess.
It’s not clear why, given Pence’s bad record on public health issues. When he was governor of Indiana, parts of the state saw spikes in HIV cases, largely because Pence refused to allow needle exchanges — a public health intervention with decades of evidence behind it — in the state. The epidemic only subsided once Pence, under public and expert pressure, eventually gave in and allowed needle exchanges.
Before that, in 2001, Pence wrote an op-ed claiming that “smoking doesn’t kill” — flouting the decades of scientific evidence proving otherwise.
One of Pence’s first tasks on the coronavirus task force was to muzzle officials that contradicted Trump’s positive spin. For much of February, Trump claimed that the US had kept the coronavirus under control and even said at one point that it would soon disappear “like a miracle.” But a CDC official, Nancy Messonnier, on February 25 contradicted Trump’s magical thinking, telling reporters that Americans should prepare for community spread of the coronavirus, social distancing, and the possibility that “disruption to everyday life might be severe.” It was the right call, as we now know, but the negative outlook reportedly angered Trump.
Two days later, the New York Times reported, the White House moved to take control of public messaging on the coronavirus, requiring federal public health officials and scientists to “coordinate all statements and public appearances with the office of Vice President Mike Pence.” From then on, the bulk of federal communication came from the White House press conferences, which spanned from genuinely helpful advice by officials like Anthony Fauci to Trump musing about injecting bleach as a Covid-19 treatment.
The dynamic — Trump pushing for something and Pence or his task force making it happen — has continued throughout the pandemic.
As the summer’s coronavirus surge began, Trump and his administration pushed back on the possibility of a spike, arguing that any increase was an artifact of more tests picking up more cases. Pence put that into writing in his op-ed denying a “second wave,” boasting that Covid-19 cases and deaths were in decline across the US in “a testament to the leadership of President Trump.” Within days, it was clear that Covid-19 cases were rising. Within weeks, the US hit records for daily new coronavirus cases as new outbreaks popped up in Southern and Western states, particularly, Arizona, Florida, and Texas, and eventually the rest of the country.
Related Everyone in the White House cluster who has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus
Even with these outbreaks in the background, Trump continued his demands that states reopen quickly. That included schools, with Trump publicly criticizing the CDC’s guidance on schools as “very tough” and “expensive.” Once again, Pence dutifully implemented what Trump asked for: As the Times reported, Pence’s staff, including his chief of staff, pressured the CDC to relax its guidelines. The agency eventually gave in.
In a similar scenario, Trump said he told his people to “slow the testing down, please,” because, in his view, more tests made the US look bad. It’s unclear how personally involved Pence was in this, but, at least under his watch, the White House task force pushed the CDC to in effect recommend less testing: The agency no longer said people without symptoms should get tested if they come into close contact with someone known to have Covid-19. The CDC later reversed course — once again recommending testing for people without symptoms — after experts nearly universally condemned the politically motivated change.
On masks, Pence has similarly imitated Trump, refusing to wear masks at meetings and campaign events, including those in states where masks are supposed to be mandatory under the law.
America’s coronavirus epidemic could still get worse
The result of Trump and Pence’s leadership: The US leads the world in Covid-19 deaths. If you control for population, the country is still among the worst: The US is now in the top 15 percent for Covid-19 deaths per capita among developed nations, with seven times the death rate as the median wealthy country. If the US had the same Covid-19 death rate as Canada, more than 125,000 more Americans would likely be alive today.
To make matters worse, the US is still extremely vulnerable to the coronavirus — something underlined by Trump’s infection, confirmed last week. (Pence has so far avoided the same fate, testing negative multiple times.)
Experts also warn that the US should brace itself for a potential surge of the virus this fall and winter. School reopenings are already leading to some large outbreaks, particularly in colleges and universities. The cold in northern parts of the country will push people inside, where the virus has an easier time spreading than it does outdoors. Friends and family will likely come together for holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. On top of all that, another flu season may be around the corner.
The US is vulnerable to all of this because the federal government, under Trump and Pence, has done such a poor job responding to Covid-19. The US still doesn’t have enough tests — with a positive rate of 5 percent only meeting the bare minimum experts recommend and above the 3 percent some experts believe is necessary. Contact tracing is nonexistent in much of the country, with experts estimating the number of contact tracers nationwide is less than half of what it needs to be. Americans’ adherence to masking is still spotty, with 17 states still not mandating masks. Cities, counties, and states are now reopening high-risk settings, such as bars and indoor dining, under pressure from Trump, Pence, and other Republican leaders.
Given all of this, some experts worry that the worst is yet to come. “The next number in the fall is likely going to shoot way up,” Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told me. “Likely well beyond 65,000, 70,000” — the summer’s previous peak. “I think this fall is going to be the biggest spike of all.”
This isn’t because the answers to Covid-19 are unknown. The solutions are all the things that experts have called for again and again throughout the pandemic: social distancing, testing and tracing, and masking. That’s what the research supports, and what the experience of places ranging from San Francisco to New York to Germany and South Korea shows.
“It’s not rocket science. It’s not that we need some new thing that hasn’t been thought of before,” Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told me. “There are things that have been done in some cases, or can be done. But if there was a stronger, coordinated federal role … that could really make a difference. It’s happened in other countries.”
By failing to adequately support these policies, Trump and Pence have left America with one of the worst Covid-19 epidemics in the world, and on very shaky ground as the risk of fall and winter coronavirus surges looms.
Despite this, the Trump administration hasn’t shown a willingness to change its approach. Even after Trump got sick with Covid-19, he and his staff have continued pushing the idea that everything is fine — with Trump tweeting, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” Pence has also downplayed the need for stricter measures, down to plexiglass at the vice presidential debate, as the White House does everything it can to avoid reminding people that the coronavirus is still very much around.
It’s this record, one in which Pence consistently stuck with Trump’s botched response, that followed the vice president at Wednesday’s debate.


vox--2020-10-07--Susan Page, a veteran political journalist, is moderating the vice presidential debate

Susan Page , USA Today ’ s Washington bureau chief , will be helming the moderator ’ s desk at the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City on Wednesday .
Page will have the job of pressing Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris on key questions , ensuring they stay on subject , and urging them to respect time constraints — all things that Fox News anchor Chris Wallace had difficulty doing during a tumultuous debate last week .
” I ’ ve tried to really think through what would be an approach that would work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told USA Today .
Page has been a longtime reporter in Washington , covering six administrations and several presidential campaigns .
She ’ s also the author of a biography about former first lady Barbara Bush called The Matriarch : Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty and has another book in the works about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi .
Page recently came under scrutiny for her role in throwing a party to celebrate the appointment of two Trump administration officials : Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heather Wilson .
According to a House investigation , taxpayers covered part of the cost of the event , though Page has said she did not know this and paid for expenses herself .
In a statement , USA Today told the Washington Post that her actions upheld the publication ’ s ethical standards , and that she “ was not paid or reimbursed by the federal government.
” Page will ask questions about nine subject areas on Wednesday , allocating 10 minutes to each .
The debate — which will be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this setting — takes place just a few weeks before the election , and days after President Donald Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus .
Help keep Vox free for all Millions turn to Vox each month to understand what ’ s happening in the news , from the coronavirus crisis to a racial reckoning to what is , quite possibly , the most consequential presidential election of our lifetimes .
Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
If you have already contributed , thank you .
If you haven ’ t , please consider helping everyone make sense of an increasingly chaotic world : Contribute today from as little as $ 3 .

Susan Page, USA Today’s Washington bureau chief, will be helming the moderator’s desk at the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City on Wednesday.
Page will have the job of pressing Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris on key questions, ensuring they stay on subject, and urging them to respect time constraints — all things that Fox News anchor Chris Wallace had difficulty doing during a tumultuous debate last week.
”I’ve tried to really think through what would be an approach that would work to keep the debate on track,” she told USA Today.
Page has been a longtime reporter in Washington, covering six administrations and several presidential campaigns. She’s also the author of a biography about former first lady Barbara Bush called The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty and has another book in the works about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Page recently came under scrutiny for her role in throwing a party to celebrate the appointment of two Trump administration officials: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma and Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. According to a House investigation, taxpayers covered part of the cost of the event, though Page has said she did not know this and paid for expenses herself. In a statement, USA Today told the Washington Post that her actions upheld the publication’s ethical standards, and that she “was not paid or reimbursed by the federal government.”
Page will ask questions about nine subject areas on Wednesday, allocating 10 minutes to each. The debate — which will be the only time Harris and Pence face off in this setting — takes place just a few weeks before the election, and days after President Donald Trump was diagnosed with the coronavirus.


vox--2020-10-07--Everyone in the White House cluster who has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus

Everyone in the White House cluster who has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus Share All sharing options for : Everyone in the White House cluster who has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus More than 20 people in and around the White House have recently tested positive for the coronavirus — including President Donald Trump himself .
The president announced on Friday , October 2 , after midnight that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 , joining several other high-ranking US government officials who have contracted SARS-CoV-2 .
Trump went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Bethesda , Maryland , on Friday evening to undergo treatment .
He was discharged on Monday , October 5 .
On Tuesday , Stephen Miller , a top Trump adviser , reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus .
His case was just the latest revealed among top White House officials .
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested positive on Monday for the coronavirus ; four of her aides reportedly also have tested positive .
McEnany — like others in the White House cluster — failed to immediately quarantine after Trump ’ s diagnosis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters without a mask in the following days .
McEnany and other Republican officials attended a White House event on September 26 honoring the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
GOP Sens .
Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced after Trump ’ s diagnosis that they had tested positive ; both were at the event , which took place indoors and outdoors .
Several other people , including former senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , another attendee , announced that he tested positive and checked into a hospital .
Barrett , for her part , was diagnosed with Covid-19 over the summer but has recovered .
It is unknown whether she now carries immunity .
But it ’ s not just the one event .
On Saturday , October 3 , Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) announced he had tested positive .
Johnson was not at the Barrett event , but he did attend a lunch with other Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-known senators , members of the press , and White House officials who have tested positive , less well-known government staff members and security officers have been infected with the coronavirus in recent days .
A number of such cases have been confirmed , including McEnany ’ s deputies , Trump aide Nicholas Luna , and military officials assigned to the White House .
Vice Commandant Charles Ray of the Coast Guard tested positive on Monday , and other military leaders entered quarantine .
The White House , in other words , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration appears to be doing little to trace the outbreak , creating concern that the White House will become a source of community spread .
At least one likely secondary infection has been reported : New York Times journalist Michael Shear , who traveled with the president the evening after the Barrett event and tested positive shortly after , said his wife tested positive following his diagnosis .
While it ’ s not clear how the president was exposed , Trump was in regular contact last week with senior counselor Hope Hicks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday , October 1 .
Hicks had traveled with Trump multiple times last week , including to the September 29 presidential debate in Cleveland , Ohio .
Over the summer , Republican Sens .
Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy were diagnosed with Covid-19 but have successfully recovered .
The virus has also infected at least 14 House members — nine Republicans and five Democrats — since March .
But this is the first time the virus , which has killed more than 210,000 Americans , has spread in such a concentrated manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and members of the press corps .
As of Tuesday , Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen have both tested negative , as have Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill .
Some other Trump administration officials , including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe , tested negative as well .
Trump and his staff have been traveling to campaign events for several weeks .
Just in the past week , the president has held rallies in Florida , Virginia , Pennsylvania , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 29 debate in Ohio .
Eleven people tested positive for the coronavirus in cases traced to “ pre-debate planning and set-up , ” according to the Cleveland mayor ’ s office .
One way to mitigate the White House outbreak would be to undergo a major contact tracing operation , though the Trump administration has made few efforts on that front so far .
As Vox ’ s Dylan Scott explained , the only way to figure out the full extent of the outbreak is contact tracing : “ identifying who has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he became contagious , and asking them to quarantine to prevent Covid-19 from spreading to others , and to get tested themselves.
” The Trump campaign announced in a statement Friday that he and his family are suspending in-person events .
Pence ’ s campaign travel will continue , and he plans to participate in the vice presidential debate against Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday .
Here ’ s what we know about who has tested positive — and negative — for SARS-CoV-2 so far .
People in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive for the coronavirus This list includes people who attended the September 26 Barrett event and/or have had close recent contact with the White House .
• John Jenkins , president of the University of Notre Dame • Three journalists from the White House press corps , including Michael Shear of the New York Times and photojournalist Al Drago • A White House press staffer , according to the White House Correspondents ’ Association Crede Bailey , the head of the White House security office , has been hospitalized with Covid-19 since September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became sick before the Amy Coney Barrett event .
Two housekeeping staff members at the White House tested positive “ roughly three weeks ago , ” according to the New York Times .
Vice Commandant Ray , Sen. Johnson , and Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel have also recently tested positive .
Johnson and McDaniel were not at the Barrett event , but McDaniel had contact with Trump in the days before it .
A brief list of key politicians and officials who have tested negative Given the level of uncertainty created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a list of key administration figures who help run the country , key lawmakers who have been in contact with the president , and key Democrats in the 2020 election cycle who have recently gotten negative test results for the virus .
While it could take several days for an individual who has contracted the virus to test positive , these are the initial negative tests .
Here ’ s a partial list so far : • Republican Reps. Pete Stauber and Tom Emmer of Minnesota , who traveled with Trump last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MinnPost • Republican Sens .
Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia , who had been in contact with Trump in the past week , according to a CBS reporter in Atlanta Will you help keep Vox free for all ?
The United States is in the middle of one of the most consequential presidential elections of our lifetimes .
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Everyone in the White House cluster who has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus
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More than 20 people in and around the White House have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks — including President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and their son, Barron Trump.
The president announced on October 2 that he and Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, joining several other high-ranking US government officials who have contracted SARS-CoV-2. Trump was given an experimental antibody treatment and oxygen at the White House, before being moved to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland for three days.
Melania Trump recuperated at home. Barron Trump, his mother announced on October 14, tested positive after his parents; the first lady said he was asymptomatic and has since tested negative.
Some prominent officials in the Trump administration have recently tested positive as well, including presidential adviser Stephen Miller, as well as press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and at least four members of her staff. McEnany — like others in the White House cluster — failed to immediately quarantine after Trump’s diagnosis, and she appeared in front of reporters without a mask in the following days.
While the administration has refused to conduct contact tracing, many Covid-19 cases in the cluster are believed to have originated around the time of a White House event — which took place indoors and outdoors — on September 26 honoring the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Dr. Anthony Fauci of the federal coronavirus task force has called the gathering a “superspreader event,” criticizing it for being a “situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks.”
A number of attendees tested positive for the coronavirus in the days following the event, including GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina; former senior White House counselor Kellyanne Conway; and Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another attendee, also tested positive and was hospitalized for a week.
Barrett, for her part, was diagnosed with Covid-19 over the summer but has recovered. It is unknown whether she now carries immunity.
But it’s not just the one event. On October 3, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) announced he had tested positive. Johnson was not at the Barrett event, but he did attend a lunch with other Republican senators last week. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) said on October 14 he was isolating after a positive test. There was some concern Barrett’s confirmation hearing could contribute to spread given many senators — including Lee, who said he is “no longer contagious” — are attending in person.
There have been more cases of political figures in recent days, which do not immediately appear linked to the cluster: Joe Biden’s campaign announced on October 15 that Kamala Harris’s communications director and a flight crew member tested positive for coronavirus. The campaign said that others, including Harris and Biden, have repeatedly tested negative in recent days, and that it is conducting contact tracing.
Beyond the relatively well-known senators, members of the press, and White House officials who have tested positive, less well-known government staff members and security officers have been infected with the coronavirus as well. A number of such cases have been confirmed, including McEnany’s deputies, Trump aide Nicholas Luna, and military officials assigned to the White House. Vice Commandant Charles Ray of the Coast Guard tested positive, leading other military leaders to enter quarantine.
The White House, in other words, became a Covid-19 hot spot.
Over the summer, Republican Sens. Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy were diagnosed with Covid-19 but have successfully recovered. The virus has also infected more than 15 House members since March. But this is the first time the virus, which has killed more than 215,000 Americans, has spread in such a concentrated manner among White House officials, staffers, and members of the press corps.
While it’s not clear how the president was exposed, Trump was in regular contact last week with senior counselor Hope Hicks, whose positive coronavirus test was revealed on Thursday, October 1. Hicks had traveled with Trump multiple times ahead of his diagnosis, including to the September 29 presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen have both repeatedly tested negative, as have Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his wife Jill. Some other Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, have tested negative as well.
Following his recovery, Trump has resumed campaigning, promising to hold a rally nearly every day between now and November 3. He kicked these off with events in Florida and Pennsylvania, and spent part of each event incorrectly stating that those who have had the coronavirus are immune to reinfection.
While the rallies are all expected to be held outdoors, they have, thus far, not featured social distancing or universal mask wearing, fueling concerns that they will create new coronavirus clusters, both in the locales in which they are held, and among Trump’s staff. And the speculation is not unfounded; local officials believe a rally the president held on September 18 in Bemidji, Minnesota, caused at least nine cases.
Here’s what we know about some key figures who have tested positive — and negative — for SARS-CoV-2 so far.
People in the White House cluster who have reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus
This list includes people who attended the September 26 Barrett event and/or have had close recent contact with the White House.
Crede Bailey, the head of the White House security office, was hospitalized with Covid-19 in September, according to Bloomberg. He reportedly became sick before the Amy Coney Barrett event.
Two housekeeping staff members at the White House tested positive in early September, according to the New York Times.
Vice Commandant Ray, Sen. Johnson, and Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel have also recently tested positive. Johnson and McDaniel were not at the Barrett event, but McDaniel had contact with Trump in the days before it.
A brief list of key politicians and officials who have tested negative
Vox has compiled a list of key administration figures who help run the country, key lawmakers who have been in contact with the president, and key Democrats in the 2020 election cycle who have recently gotten negative test results for the virus.
While it could take several days for an individual who has contracted the virus to test positive, some recent negative tests have been made public. Here’s a partial list so far:


vox--2020-10-07--Facebook is banning political ads ... after the election

Facebook is going to temporarily ban all political ads … but only after the 2020 election , a move that solves neither its organic content problem nor the problematic political ads appearing on its platform prior to voting .
On Wednesday , the social media giant announced that it will temporarily stop running social , electoral , and political ads in the United States after the polls close on Election Day , November 3 .
The measure is an effort “ to reduce opportunities for confusion and abuse , ” wrote Guy Rosen , Facebook ’ s vice president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision .
The company will notify advertisers once it lifts the policy post-election , but it didn ’ t indicate when that would be .
In early September , Facebook said it would ban new political ads the week before the election , but ads that have already been in the mix prior to then will continue to appear in News Feeds .
Also on Wednesday , Facebook said it would ban and remove posts that seek to intimidate voters , including ones that encourage poll watching “ when those calls used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to intimidate , exert control , or display power over election officials and voters.
” These announcements are the latest in a series of small , slow , and iterative measures Facebook has introduced in recent months related to US politics and elections .
And while they ’ re better than doing nothing , they are also too little , too late .
There ’ s a lot a political ad ban doesn ’ t do — it doesn ’ t stop politicians from lying in ads in the days leading up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t stop giving political campaigns the ability to hyper-target ads to tiny groups of voters with very specific messaging .
( Microtargeting makes it super easy to precisely target negative and misleading ads to certain voters , and it makes it harder for opponents and other groups to know those ads are out there and counter them . )
Plus , banning political ads after the election doesn ’ t solve the , you know , before-the-election problem .
Some political strategists also argue that clamping down on political ads online hurts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big ones .
Facebook ads are a lot less expensive to run than television commercials — which means campaigns with big budgets can go to TV , while campaigns with small budgets can ’ t .
Also : Ads are just a small part of the equation .
Facebook ’ s role in presenting voters with political information , disinformation , and conspiracy theories stretches far beyond advertising , and focusing too much on advertising allows it and other tech platforms to avoid the bigger problem : organic content .
That means the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform for free — such as a false story in 2016 claiming Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump , or an unsubstantiated claim made by the president about mail-in-voting over the summer .
Misleading and polarizing organic content spreads fast and far on the platform all the time because social media thrives on engagement , and what engages people is content that evokes strong emotions .
A political campaign doesn ’ t need to pay for a political ad to spread lies claiming Elizabeth Warren wasn ’ t born in the US or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — they can just post it .
The dangerous , preposterous QAnon conspiracy movement , which has shifted from the fringes to the mainstream , is a perfect example of social media ’ s failures .
It has flourished on places like Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter — not because of ads , but because of organic content .
Facebook finally banned QAnon this week , but it has already reached far and wide on its platform , as Recode ’ s Shirin Ghaffary recently explained : Misinformation about voter fraud and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not relying on paid ads to do it .
While Facebook tries to catch misinformation and put warnings on it , falsities travel a lot faster than its content moderators .
In a hypothetical post-election scenario where Joe Biden wins the election but President Trump refuses to concede or insists the election was rigged , he doesn ’ t need an ad to spread that sort of lie — again , he can just do it in a post .
Facebook says it will attach an “ informational label ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election .
However , it seems unlikely it would take down such posts or outright fact-check them , given how reluctant it ’ s been to take such actions in the past .
Will it work ?
When I consider my own anecdotal experience , I doubt it .
I spent hours browsing the Facebook pages of anti-maskers for a story over the summer and encountered multiple people who had such labels on content they shared .
They just dismissed them by claiming Facebook was censoring them or hiding the truth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of content they saw on Facebook or other online platforms .
In a September 3 post , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote that the 2020 election is “ not going to be business as usual.
” But the iterative measures Facebook has introduced so far seem to be exactly that — business as usual .
Will you help keep Vox free for all ?
The United States is in the middle of one of the most consequential presidential elections of our lifetimes .
It ’ s essential that all Americans are able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the outcome of the election could mean for their lives , and the lives of their families and communities .
That is our mission at Vox .
But our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources .
Even when the economy and the news advertising market recovers , your support will be a critical part of sustaining our resource-intensive work .
If you have already contributed , thank you .
If you haven ’ t , please consider helping everyone understand this presidential election : Contribute today from as little as $ @ @

Facebook is going to temporarily ban all political ads … but only after the 2020 election, a move that solves neither its organic content problem nor the problematic political ads appearing on its platform prior to voting.
On Wednesday, the social media giant announced that it will temporarily stop running social, electoral, and political ads in the United States after the polls close on Election Day, November 3. The measure is an effort “to reduce opportunities for confusion and abuse,” wrote Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of integrity, in a blog post announcing the decision. The company will notify advertisers once it lifts the policy post-election, but it didn’t indicate when that would be. In early September, Facebook said it would ban new political ads the week before the election, but ads that have already been in the mix prior to then will continue to appear in News Feeds.
Also on Wednesday, Facebook said it would ban and remove posts that seek to intimidate voters, including ones that encourage poll watching “when those calls used militarized language or suggest that the goal is to intimidate, exert control, or display power over election officials and voters.”
These announcements are the latest in a series of small, slow, and iterative measures Facebook has introduced in recent months related to US politics and elections. And while they’re better than doing nothing, they are also too little, too late.
There’s a lot a political ad ban doesn’t do — it doesn’t stop politicians from lying in ads in the days leading up to the election, and it doesn’t stop giving political campaigns the ability to hyper-target ads to tiny groups of voters with very specific messaging. (Microtargeting makes it super easy to precisely target negative and misleading ads to certain voters, and it makes it harder for opponents and other groups to know those ads are out there and counter them.) Plus, banning political ads after the election doesn’t solve the, you know, before-the-election problem.
Some political strategists also argue that clamping down on political ads online hurts small campaigns more than it does the big ones. Facebook ads are a lot less expensive to run than television commercials — which means campaigns with big budgets can go to TV, while campaigns with small budgets can’t.
Also: Ads are just a small part of the equation. Facebook’s role in presenting voters with political information, disinformation, and conspiracy theories stretches far beyond advertising, and focusing too much on advertising allows it and other tech platforms to avoid the bigger problem: organic content. That means the type of stuff that goes on the platform for free — such as a false story in 2016 claiming Pope Francis had endorsed Donald Trump, or an unsubstantiated claim made by the president about mail-in-voting over the summer.
Misleading and polarizing organic content spreads fast and far on the platform all the time because social media thrives on engagement, and what engages people is content that evokes strong emotions. A political campaign doesn’t need to pay for a political ad to spread lies claiming Elizabeth Warren wasn’t born in the US or Marco Rubio has six secret love children — they can just post it.
The dangerous, preposterous QAnon conspiracy movement, which has shifted from the fringes to the mainstream, is a perfect example of social media’s failures. It has flourished on places like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter — not because of ads, but because of organic content. Facebook finally banned QAnon this week, but it has already reached far and wide on its platform, as Recode’s Shirin Ghaffary recently explained:
The theory continues to grow online, in both the number of followers and the strength of its political influence in the Republican Party. The growing political clout of the movement is especially worrisome for misinformation researchers who say QAnon is potentially becoming one of the largest networks of extremism in the United States. QAnon is gaining broad appeal not just with the extremely online, male-dominated, 4chan message board crowd, where QAnon was first born; it’s also increasingly popular with suburban moms and yoga-loving wellness gurus on Instagram and Twitter.
Misinformation about voter fraud and the election is spreading — and it’s not relying on paid ads to do it. While Facebook tries to catch misinformation and put warnings on it, falsities travel a lot faster than its content moderators. In a hypothetical post-election scenario where Joe Biden wins the election but President Trump refuses to concede or insists the election was rigged, he doesn’t need an ad to spread that sort of lie — again, he can just do it in a post. Facebook says it will attach an “informational label” to content seeking to delegitimize the outcome of the election. However, it seems unlikely it would take down such posts or outright fact-check them, given how reluctant it’s been to take such actions in the past.
Will it work? When I consider my own anecdotal experience, I doubt it. I spent hours browsing the Facebook pages of anti-maskers for a story over the summer and encountered multiple people who had such labels on content they shared. They just dismissed them by claiming Facebook was censoring them or hiding the truth. They had also often developed their beliefs because of content they saw on Facebook or other online platforms.
In a September 3 post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote that the 2020 election is “not going to be business as usual.” But the iterative measures Facebook has introduced so far seem to be exactly that — business as usual.