Kari Paul here, signing off for the night! It has been an active day at the end of a very busy news week, so here are some top lines in case you missed them.
- Three people at the school of Amy Coney Barrett’s teenage children, who attended the super-spreader event in the Rose Garden, have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
- The presidential debate on Thursday of next week was officially cancelled after Trump refused to participate remotely. This comes as Trump has two events planned at the White House this weekend and a rally planned on Monday in Florida.
- A debate between South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and his democratic opponent was canceled when Graham refused to take a coronavirus test.
- Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said Friday he will release more emails from former secretary of state Hillary Clinton at Trump’s behest.
- The Trump administration blocked an order proposed by the CDC last month that would have required masks to be worn on public transit across the US.
- Trump participated in his first on-camera interview since his Covid diagnosis, speaking to a Fox News contributor and doctor about his experiences with the virus. Trump said he is glad he got intensive treatment quickly and learned “coronavirus is contagious”. He denied ever having breathing problems, despite reports he was on oxygen previously, and said “I feel very good and very strong. He did not say whether he had tested negative for the virus.
Trump conflicts his own team’s report on his health in Fox News interview
Donald Trump said in an interview about his bout of coronavirus on Friday that he never had breathing problems as part of his diagnosis, conflicting with official reports from his doctors and team. His chief previously said he was taking oxygen after having trouble breathing.
Trump, doing his first on-camera interview since his coronavirus diagnosis, now claims he never had breathing problems as part of his Covid battle pic.twitter.com/SgbVfSUXA4
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 10, 2020
Trump also said that he had taken a test for the virus and “is either at the bottom of the scale or free” of the virus. “it’s been amazing to watch it disappear”, he said. Meanwhile, the White House has refused to answer whether the president tested negative.
Trump on what he has learned from his own coronavirus experience: ‘Covid is contagious’
In his first on-camera interview since he was hospitalized for coronavirus, Trump talked about what he learned from his experience that he could bring to his leadership on the topic. He said one thing he learned is that “this is a contagious disease” and that “generally you get better from it.”
He said the biggest lesson he learned from the experience is that it is important to get medical attention quickly. He did not mention how the 27 million Americans without health insurance should access medical care quickly. Experts have estimated Trump’s round-the-clock treatment for coronavirus would cost the average American more than $1m.
“I think the biggest thing is to do it early,” he said. “We have the White House doctor, we have so many doctors, so it is a lot easier for me than somebody that doesn’t have a doctor.”
Trump would not say if he had tested negative for coronavirus, ahead of two events he is holding in person at the White House this weekend. He said he is open to donating plasma to help other coronavirus patients.
“Well nobody has asked me to do that but I’d love to do it,” he said.
Trump claims to be ‘medication free’ following coronavirus treatment
Speaking to a doctor on Tucker Carlson’s evening show, Trump discussed his treatment for coronavirus and claimed he is no longer taking medications for the virus.
The remote interview, which had been advertised as a ‘medical exam’, touched on how Trump was treated and his controversial trip outside the White House to greet his supporters. It was conducted by Marc Siegel, a doctor and Fox News contributor who has previously downplayed the severity of coronavirus.
Trump once again refused to answer if he had tested negative for coronavirus following his diagnosis but said he is no longer taking medication for it.
“I don’t know numbers or anything but I have been retested and I’m at the bottom of the scale or free,” Trump said when asked if he had tested negative. “It’s been really great to see it disappear.”
Trump in first on-camera interview since Covid diagnosis: ‘I feel very good and very strong’
Trump has kicked off his interview on Tucker Carlson’s show. He said he feels “very good and very strong” following his coronavirus treatment at Walter Reed hospital.
He said he “didn’t have any breathing problems”, contradicting his doctor’s previous report that he was on oxygen while in the hospital. He said his primary symptoms were general fatigue and sore throat.
Updated
Trump administration blocked a CDC mask order
In September, months into a deadly pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people, the Trump administration blocked a CDC mandate that would have required masks on all public transportation.
The coronavirus task force, which is required to sign off on all coronavirus-related policies, refused to pass the CDC recommendation, the New York Times reported. Under the ruling, masks would have been required on airplanes, buses, trains, and subways across the United States as well as in transit hubs like bus stops and train stations.
From the report:
The order would have been the toughest federal mandate to date aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, which continues to infect more than 40,000 Americans a day. The officials said that it was drafted under the agency’s “quarantine powers” and that it had the support of the secretary of health and human services, Alex M. Azar II, but the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, declined to even discuss it.
In absence of a national mask mandate, individual states, cities, and transportation systems have been left to create their own rules. Health experts say this stokes confusion as the virus continues to spread.
Donald Trump to undergo ‘medical exam’ on television shortly
In his first on-camera TV appearance since his coronavirus diagnosis, Donald Trump will speak with Tucker Carlson on Fox News. We will be updating you live so stay tuned.
Trump is still obsessed with Hillary Clinton’s emails
Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said Friday he will release more emails from former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, a move sparked by pressure from Donald Trump.
“We’re going to get all this information out so the American people can see it. You’ll remember there was classified information on a private server, should have never been there, Hillary Clinton should never have done that, that was unacceptable behavior,” Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News on Friday.
Trump spoke of the emails in a previous interview with Fox News on Thursday, saying Pompeo had not yet released emails deleted from Clinton’s private server, which she said in 2015 “were personal and private.”
Trump just now to Limbaugh: “She deleted 33,000 emails. She should be in jail for that."
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) October 9, 2020
The president for at least the third time this week brought up the emails when speaking to conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh on Friday, saying Clinton “should be in jail” for clearing out her inbox.
An investigation by the State Department concluded in 2019 there was no “persuasive evidence” of widespread mishandling of classified information by Clinton or her aides.
Updated
South Carolina debate canceled after Lindsey Graham refuses Covid-19 test
A Friday debate between South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison and incumbent Republican senator Lindsey Graham was cancelled after Graham refused to take a coronavirus test beforehand.
The hashtags #LindseyGrahamHasCovid andn #LindseyIsPositive were trending Friday after the cancellation. The candidates will now participate in two separate interviews, a half hour each, aired on the same network. Graham accused Harrison of adding on requirements to the debate to get out of it.
What’s going on @LindseyGrahamSC ? https://t.co/Hk4xpHMTo8
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) October 9, 2020
Harrison’s demand for coronavirus testing comes after Donald Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19 just days after his debate with Joe Biden. Graham said he did not have to take the test, citing a note from the attending physician of Congress saying that he did not need one.
Covid tests are available for free in the United States Senate for members, with same day results.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) October 9, 2020
“We’re disappointed that Lindsey has failed to take a simple coronavirus test, but we appreciate our hosts were able to change the event format to make it safer for everyone,” said Harrison campaign spokesman Guy King. “Jaime will be there in Spartanburg to talk to voters.”
Updated
Trump rally comes with some distressing fine print
Trump earlier announced he will hold a rally in Sanford, Florida on Monday - the first event outside the White House since his coronavirus diagnosis.
As with other events held by the Trump campaign, attendees must sign a waiver acknowledging Covid-19 risks. From the registration page:
By registering for this event, you understand and expressly acknowledge that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. In attending the event, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, and waive, release, and discharge Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; the host venue; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers from any and all liability under any theory, whether in negligence or otherwise, for any illness or injury.
Rallies for Trump have been criticized for allowing people in close quarters, many without masks. Anyone who is infected with the coronavirus at these events cannot take legal action against the campaign over it.
Presidential debate cancelled as Trump plans first in-person events since Covid diagnosis
There will no longer be a presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on Thursday, the Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed on Friday.
The announcement comes after a public disagreement between the two candidates over the debate’s format. Trump, who is infected with the coronavirus, insisted on having an in-person debate while Biden and the commission advocated for a virtual debate for safety reasons.
“It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22,” the commission said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Trump is hosting two events at the White House this weekend and is planning a rally in Florida on Monday. It is not clear if the president, who announced a Covid-19 diagnosis one week ago, is still contagious.
Updated
Civil rights groups push tech companies to stop hosting Proud Boys content
Civil rights group Color of Change said Friday it had convinced Google Cloud to stop facilitating websites that contain content from the Proud Boys hate group.
“Big Tech companies can no longer passively support hate groups by allowing them to organize on their platforms,” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. “They - and Congress - must act.”
The move comes as scrutiny surrounding tech companies and hate content intensifies. In 2019, web hosting firm Cloudflare cut off hate speech-filled message board 8chan from hosting on its platform after it was used to post a mass shooting manifesto.
Last week, Facebook announced it would remove all pages and groups related to Qanon, a baseless conspiracy theory that has been linked to violence. Twitter recently began to remove calls to violence from Donald Trump’s account and Facebook similarly is flagging misinformation and other dangerous content from the president.
A spokesman from Google Cloud said the websites were not direct customers of Google but of a website hoster who uses Google Cloud.
“After a heads up from Color of Change, we notified one of our customers – a website hoster – who then took action,” Google Cloud said in a statement. “The websites in question were not Google Cloud customers.”
Color of Change is still calling on others to take similar action and deplatform hate groups. It criticized PayPal for refusing to remove a fundraiser page for a domestic terrorist who killed two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“Tech companies must enact and enforce a proactive, aggressive approach to stop the violent, hateful activity on its platforms – it cannot continue to fall on advocates, as it has for far too long,” Color of Change said in a statement. “Anything short of creating the policies and enforcement mechanisms necessary to proactively keep these hate-fueled groups off of tech platforms will only lead to more dangerous outcomes.”
This post has been updated to reflect that the websites in question were not direct customers of Google Cloud.
Updated
3 people infected with coronavirus at the school of Amy Coney Barrett’s children
Two students and a teacher at the school attended by children of supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The cases, confirmed by the New York Times, come after Coney Barrett brought her family to the Rose Garden celebration of her nomination on 26 September that became a superspreader event for Covid-19, infecting more than 20 people.
The nominee reportedly kept her children home from school for days after learning of infections stemming from the event and allowed them to return after testing negative for the virus. A spokesman from the White House said there is “no evidence” the cases could be linked to the children, who are in high school.
“It is disgusting that this publication, with no evidence, would insinuate that minor children spread Covid-19 after attending an event to celebrate their mother,” Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, said. “The Barrett children should be off limits. Period.” He added, “The White House Medical Unit conducted contact tracing consistent with CDC guidelines and appropriate recommendations were made.”
Updated
Hello readers, Kari Paul here taking over from the West Coast for the next few hours. Stay tuned for updates!
Summary
Here’s a summary of everything that’s happened so far today:
- Donald Trump is planning to hold two in-person events over the next few days, his first since his Covid-19 diagnosis last week. The president will address the crowd from a White House balcony tomorrow about “law and order” and will attend a rally in Florida on Monday. Meanwhile, Dr Anthony Fauci said that Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination ceremony at the White House was a super-spreader event.
- Coronavirus economic relief is still at a standstill, even as the White House presented House speaker Nancy Pelosi with its highest offer yet – $1.8tn. Pelosi’s camp said that the White House did not come up with a good enough plan to fight the virus and is waiting for more specifics from them.
- Pelosi also unveiled the House’s intent to invoke the 25th amendment through the creation of a Commission on Presidential Capacity, which will analyze a president’s physical and mental ability to serve his duties during a time of extreme crisis.
- The climate crisis is intensifying storms and hurricanes, no matter what the Trump administration says. Louisiana is bracing for yet another tempest this weekend.
Trump campaign says president will hold rally in Florida on Monday
Just an hour after the White House sent out invitations for an in-person event, Donald Trump’s first since his Covid-19 diagnosis, for Saturday, his campaign just announced that the president will be traveling to Florida on Monday for a rally.
Trump had initially indicated that he was thinking of holding a rally on Saturday night. “I think I’m going to try doing a rally on Saturday night if we can, if we have enough time to put it together,” Trump said last night.
Earlier today, the campaign said it would not be holding any in-person events with the president over the weekend. While Trump has been doing hours-long interviews with conservative hosts, it has only been just over a week since the country was made aware of the presidents’ diagnosis. Medical experts have voiced concerns that, because the White House has refused to show results of Trump’s chest x-rays and lung scans, the public does not have a complete picture of whether the president has fully recovered from the virus.
The Trump Campaign just announced the President plans to hold a rally on Monday night in Sanford, FL—two days after Trump had hoped.
— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) October 9, 2020
Note his doctor has not signed off on a return to public engagements yet, but expects that to happen tomorrow.
The Washington Post just published a story about Hope Hicks’ diagnosis, which revealed that White House staffers were angered that she kept her diagnosis private even though she may have exposed many colleagues to the virus during her contagious period.
News of Hicks’ diagnosis was first broken by a Bloomberg News reporter and has since led to an avalanche of Covid-19 coming from the president’s inner circle. But, the Washington Post points out, Hicks is not likely the White House’s patient zero as judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination ceremony at the White House, which Hicks did not attend, was revealed to be a super-spreader event.
Here’s more from the Washington Post:
Hicks had tested negative last Wednesday, the morning after Trump’s first debate with Joe Biden, but she started feeling unwell at a rally in Duluth, Minn., that night. She quarantined herself on Air Force One on the return trip, discreetly enough that other staffers did not know she was ill. When the plane landed, she exited from the rear entrance.
The next morning, Hicks reported for work at the White House and tested positive for the coronavirus. She returned home to begin isolating — but told only the president and a small circle of senior staff, including chief of staff Mark Meadows. Many colleagues, including one aide who had been near her during her potentially contagious period, were enraged when they only learned about it several hours later through the grapevine or White House contact tracers; two said they would have curtailed their contact with other people and taken a test immediately had they known sooner. Several aides said they suspected there might be a positive case in the West Wing when co-workers started wearing masks, but by the time they learned about Hicks that evening, testing facilities were closed.
But even after Trump learned of her diagnosis, he continued with a full day of activities, including his plan to attend, maskless, a fundraiser at his club in Bedminster, N.J., that afternoon. Only after he returned to the White House and held three tele-rallies that evening did he take a rapid test for the coronavirus and tested positive. He then took the more reliable PCR test for which it takes longer to obtain results.
The Senate judiciary committee is set to begin the confirmation of judge Amy Coney Barrett for the supreme court on Monday. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has reiterated that his top priority is getting Barrett on the court, rushing her lifetime appointment before the presidential election.
Two Democratic members of the committee tweeted this afternoon their frustration that Senate Republicans have shifted their focus to the supreme court while stalling talks for a much-needed coronavirus stimulus package.
I’ve received 242,000 letters, calls and emails opposing the GOP rush to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat. The American people understand that Republicans are hurrying to consolidate a conservative majority on the court so they can repeal the ACA. This is NOT the will of the people.
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) October 9, 2020
Instead of taking up additional COVID-19 relief legislation that our country so desperately needs, the Senate on Monday is holding Supreme Court confirmation hearings. This is entirely out of touch with what the American people are demanding.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) October 9, 2020
Democrats will likely continue to highlight the confirmation as a distraction to stimulus talks. Republicans and Democrats have been at a standstill since the summer on an aid package, with Senate Republicans looking for a bill close to $1tr and Democrats pursuing one that is $2.2tr.
Updated
Donald Trump to hold first in-person event since Covid-19 diagnosis
Donald Trump is planning to host his first in-person event since his Covid-19 diagnosis on Saturday at the White house, where he will discuss “law and order” even as the president potentially remains contagious for the virus. Trump is expecting to address a crowd from the White House balcony.
The event is in conjunction with a previously planned event by Blexit, the group by conservative activist Candace Owens meant to encourage Black Americans to leave the Democratic party.
According to an invitation by ABC News, the event will start at 11:30 am. White House physician Dr Sean Conley said Thursday in a press release that “based on the trajectory of advanced diagnostics the team has been conducting, I fully anticipate the president’s safe return to public engagements” on Saturday, 10 days after Trump’s diagnosis last Thursday.
Earlier today, Fox News reported that the Trump campaign will not do any events over the weekend, but will resume having Trump on the campaign trail starting Monday.
Updated
Seems like talks between Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and House speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t go as well as planned.
Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, tweeted out that the two spoke at 1.40pm for over half an hour. Hammill said the White House did not come to the table with “an agreement on a strategic plan to crush the virus” and said that they are still “awaiting language” from the White House as negotiations continue.
Though the White House and Pelosi are doing direct negotiations, Senate Republicans, helmed by majority leader Mitch McConnell, do not seem to be interested in the larger package that the White House offered up. And while Trump himself appeared enthusiastic about the package, Republicans have indicated – even while millions remain unemployed and whole industries, especially the airline industry, are floundering – they are more focused on getting judge Amy Coney Barrett confirmed on the supreme court before passing another stimulus package.
11) Even in the middle of a pandemic, McConnell reverted to what President Trump said in his Tuesday tweet-storm, putting the kibosh on the talks.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 9, 2020
“The first item of priority of the Senate is the Supreme Court,” said McConnell.
Updated
In an interview just moments ago, Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said that Donald Trump’s nomination of judge Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court at the White House’s Rose Garden was a “superspreader” event.
"We had a superspreader event at the White House," Fauci tells @CBSNewsRadio. "The data speak for themselves." pic.twitter.com/svnwkfr6Ag
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) October 9, 2020
“The data speak for themselves. We had a superspreader event in the White House. It was in a situation where people were crowded together, were not wearing masks,” Fauci said.
Fauci said that, because nearly half of Covid-19 cases can be asymptomatic, having everyone masked is essential to prevent the spread of the virus. Though the event was held outside, photos from the event show minimal social distancing and masks, with some attendees hugging and kissing each other on the cheek. There was also an indoor reception that likely aided the spread of the virus at the event.
At least seven people who attended the event of about 150 people have tested positive for the virus, including US Senator Mike Lee, University of Notre Dame president Father John Jenkins, Chris Christie and Kellyanne Conway.
Updated
Twitter announced today the limits it will place on users who are trying to spread misinformation or incite violence or election interference, including candidates for office.
The platform said it will flag Tweets that falsely claim a win for any candidate and will remove from the platform any Tweets that encourage violence or election interference. Twitter said it will require an announcement from election officials or “a public projection from at least two authoritative, national news outlets that make independent election calls” for a declaration to be considered true. “Tweets which include premature claims will be labeled and direct people to our official US election page.
In addition to the new features, Twitter said that when people attempt to retweet a Tweet with misleading information, they will see a prompt “pointing them to credible information about the topic before they are able to amplify it.” The platform plans to generally encourage users to quote tweet instead of retweet content in an attempt to slow the spread of misinformation.
how it started how it's going pic.twitter.com/hW53CYDfio
— Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) October 9, 2020
The new features posit the platform against Donald Trump, who has spent the last few weeks refusing to commit to a peaceful transition to power and has repeatedly made claims that the election will be rigged unless it turns up in his favor.
Donald Trump said he would like to see a “bigger stimulus package” than is currently on offer by either party in the halting negotiations over a coronavirus relief package that he just days ago abruptly ended.
“I would like to see a bigger stimulus package frankly than either the Democrats or Republicans are offering,” he said. “I’m going in the exact opposite now, OK?”
The about-face came during a rambling, two-hour radio interview with the conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Towards the end of the radio broadcast, Limbaugh remarked that the president’s stamina was proof he had recovered from the coronavirus.
“The president’s status with Covid-19 is pretty solid,” Limbaugh declared, adding: “Not once during the hour and 42 minutes has the president been stumped, has he not known what he’s wanted to say.”
Trump spent most of the interview rallying against his enemies, real and perceived, including his favorite targets: the press, Democrats, the Russia investigators. But he also lashed out at Fox News, former DNC chair Donna Brazile, the Pulitzer Commission and LeBron James. One person who escaped his wrath was German chancellor Angela Merkel, who he called “smart” and “cunning”.
Informed of an Axios report that the DoJ investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation would not be released before the November election, Trump expressed shock and frustration.
“It’s a disgrace,” he said. “If Bill Barr made that statement, I would be very disappointed in him.”
Trump also had some choice words for Iran:
“If you fuck around with us, if you do something bad to us, we are gonna do things to you that have never been done before.” — the President of the United States pic.twitter.com/RfDKchaw7i
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 9, 2020
Updated
Early afternoon summary
It’s been a lively morning and there will be more to come this afternoon in US politics and coronavirus news. Expect the unexpected!
Here are the main events so far today:
- Coronavirus economic relief negotiations are back on in Washington - or are they? Hard to see clearly for the White House smoke and mirrors.
- It always seemed incredible that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue’s Covid-19 patient was going to be hopping on Air Force One to an in-person rally in Florida tomorrow, as he mentioned he might. Looks like it’s official-ish.
- Talking of stunts, Nancy Pelosi announced that the House will invoke the 25th Amendment, which gives Congress some power to evaluate the health and stability of the president to conduct the duties of the office.....
- A federal judge in Florida declined to reopen voter registration processes for the November election despite a tech meltdown earlier this week potentially depriving thousands of the right to vote.
- The climate crisis is intensifying storms and hurricanes, no matter what the Trump administration says. Louisiana is bracing for yet another tempest.
White House to propose $1.8tn relief package to House Democrats
The White House is proposing a $1.8 trillion coronavirus relief package in negotiations with House speaker Nancy Pelosi, its largest offer yet that is seemingly an attempt to close the gap between Democrats’ desired $2.2 trillion trillion package and the Republicans $1 trillion proposal.
Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin is expecting to discuss the deal with Pelosi today, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told an audience in Kentucky that he believes an aid package will not be seen until after the election. “I’d like to see us rise above that like we did in March and April but I think it’s unlikely in the next three weeks,” McConnell said, according to the Associated Press. Other reports suggest the White House’s deal will meet resistance from their GOP counterparts in the Senate.
SCOOP: Senate GOP sources tell me and @LJMoynihan latest stimulus proposal being floated by @larry_kudlow @stevenmnuchin1 @realDonaldTrump @SpeakerPelosi still faces stiff resistance in GOP senate and as of now @senatemajldr does not have the votes for a $1.8 trillion package
— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) October 9, 2020
But the White House is exuding a contrasting optimism, with Trump tweeting “Covid Relief Negotiations are moving along. Go Big!” this morning, a 180-degree turn after the White House said that “negotiations are off” on Wednesday. Larry Kudlow, White House economic advisor, told reporters today that “developments are positive”.
Donald Trump said he was in “not great shape” after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, the president said in a rambling appearance on Rush Limbaugh’s conservative radio show.
In the fawning interview, which is still going, Trump said he was “cured” by an antibody cocktail, an experimental therapeutic for treating patients with Covid-19 that is still undergoing testing and is not FDA approved.
“I recovered immediately, almost immediately,” he said, adding that he is no longer taking anything. “I’m not taking anything. I’m off any regimen that they gave me.”
Last night, Trump would not tell Sean Hannity, a friendly Fox News presenter, when he last tested negative for coronavirus. Limbaugh never followed up on Trump’s claim to be fully cured.
Speaking about his raspy voice and throat-clearing, Trump said: “There’s always that little lingering thing for a couple of days. It’s called a lingering thing.”
Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who Trump called a “nut job,” introduced legislation that would create a commission to allow Congress to intervene under the 25th Amendment and remove the president from office.
Trump said he believed Democrats were rushing to pass this legislation in case Joe Biden wins the election, so they could remove him and install his running mate, Kamala Harris.
Steve Scully, political editor for C-SPAN who is set to moderate the second debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, said that his Twitter was hacked last night. Scully tweeted out to Anthony Scaramucci, former White House press secretary who has become a noted critic of the president, “should I respond to trump”.
Trump on Thursday told Fox News that Scully was a “never-Trumper” who “worked for Biden at one point”, referring to an internship Scully had with Biden’s office as a college student.
CSPAN says that Steve Scully, the next debate moderator, “believes his account has been hacked” and didn’t send this tweet to @Scaramucci pic.twitter.com/StoyQ2V2wg
— Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) October 9, 2020
Scaramucci, replying to Scully’s tweet, told his followers to “ignore. He is having a hard enough time. Some more bad stuff about to go down.” Both tweets have since been deleted.
C-SPAN released a statement saying that Scully “did not originate the tweet and believes his account has been hacked. The Commission on Presidential Debates has stated publicly that the tweet was not sent by Scully himself and is investigating with the help of authorities.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s camp has already ignored the statement and expressed beliefs that Scully is trying to cover up for an accidental tweet.
Since Steve Scully claims he was hacked, will he allow Twitter to show all logins to his account?
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 9, 2020
If he was hacked that could be a serious attempt of a foreign election intervention. If he won’t, did he an the commission lie to the American people?
A GOP Congressman from Illinois announced this morning that he has tested positive for Covid-19.
Mike Bost has joined the over 20 lawmakers on Capitol Hill to contract the virus since March. At least nine Republican members of Congress attended Donald Trump’s announcement of Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee, an event at the White House’s Rose Garden that is now seen as a super-spreader event.
Bost in a statement said that he experienced a mild cough and a rapid loss of taste and smell, which prompted him to get tested. The Congressman, who is up for reelection next month, is cancelling events as he undergoes quarantine and recovery.
— Rep. Mike Bost (@RepBost) October 9, 2020
Trump unlikely to hold campaign rallies this weekend after all
Reports are coming out that Donald Trump will not hold campaign events over the weekend but is planning on heading back to the trail on Monday.
.@FoxNews is told @realDonaldTrump will likely not have campaign events this weekend, but is planning to be back on the trail on Monday.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 9, 2020
Trump and his campaign have been teasing returns to the trail this week, with a memorandum from White House physician Dr. Sean Conley saying, “I fully expect the president’s return to public engagement” by Saturday.
The president is set to have his first in-person interview since contracting the virus with a Fox News medical analyst tonight. CNN has pointed out that it is still unclear whether the medical analyst will be with Trump in-person tonight. Trump is also planning on participating in a virtual rally with conservative radio news host Rush Limbaugh that the campaign has described as the “largest virtual rally in radio history” (obviously a high accolade in 2020, the peak of radio).
Updated
The Supreme Court announced that it will hear oral arguments for cases virtually in November and December and will provide live audio feed of the hearings. The court will follow the same format it has been using for its new term starting this month.
The justices have not heard arguments in person since early March. In a press release, the court said it will determine plans for January’s arguments soon.
JUST IN Due to COVID-19 #SCOTUS announces they'll hear oral arguments for November & December via teleconference with live audio. pic.twitter.com/4X4HcVmKfm
— Nicole Ninh (@nicninh) October 9, 2020
House speaker Nancy Pelosi just held a press conference announcing the House intention to create a Commission on Presidential Capacity that would exist to evaluate the health of the president in a time of crisis and assess whether a transition of power to the vice president would be suitable.
Pelosi answered a question about what indications does she believe prove that Donald Trump has an “altered state of mind” from Covid-19 and his subsequent treatment.
“Clearly he is under medication. Any of us who is under medication of that seriousness is in an altered state,” Pelosi said
“He has bragged about the medication that he has taken, and again, there are articles by medical professions saying this could have an impact on judgment.”
Because Congress is currently not in a legislative session, a commission cannot realistically exist for the rest of the year. US representative Jamie Raskin, speaking with Pelosi at the press conference, defended introducing the legislation now.
Raskin said that the pandemic has highlighted Congress’ need to set up an “institution” that can evaluate the health of the president in extreme circumstances,
“We’ve got to think of this in Constitutional terms. This is why we need to set up an institution composed on a bipartisan fashion, bicameral fashion that will be able to make judgments five months from now, five years from now, 50 years from now, whenever it might be.”
- This section was amended on 11 October to correct the spelling of the first name of Jamie Raskin.
Updated
Jamie Raskin, a Democratic US representative from Maryland, said that the Commission on Presidential Capacity” will have 17 members, 8 members will be medical personnel and the other 8 will be high-ranking former members of the executive branch. The members of the commission will be bipartisan and will choose a chair to lead it.
Because Congress is not in legislative session, meaning no serious consideration of the measure can happen until the spring, the bill is Nancy Pelosi’s way of highlighting the uncertainty around Donald Trump’s health and the spread of Covid-19 in the White House. Raskin said that he wishes that Congress has moved to make the commission earlier.
Raskin (D-MD) on Congress passing his legislation to create 25th Amendment Commission on Presidential Capacity: "I wish that Congress had set up this permanent body years ago. It did not do it, but we do need to do this certainly in the new Congress."
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) October 9, 2020
“It’s not about the election at all,” she said, adding that “people want to know” about a president’s health. “We have to give some comfort to people that there is a way to do this.”
Updated
Nancy Pelosi unveils House Commission on Presidential Capacity
Nancy Pelosi just announced that the House will invoke the 25th Amendment, which gives Congress some power to evaluate the health and stability of the president to conduct the duties of the office, and create a Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office.
House Democrats are focusing on section 4 of the amendment that gives Congress and his cabinet the power to pass the power of the president along to the vice-president if POTUS “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” and does not make moves to transfer power.
Updated
House speaker Nancy Pelosi is holding a press conference this morning on Capitol Hill where she is slated to give further details about a bill that would invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution, which allows Congress to interview when a President is not able to conduct duties of the office.
On Thursday, Pelosi teased a bill that invoked the amendment, but said that more details will be provided on Friday.
Pelosi and other Democrats have voiced concerns about the uncertainty around the president’s health in the midst of having Covid-19 and receiving subsequent treatment.
“There are those who say that the steroids had an impact on people’s thinking,” Pelosi said in an interview on Wednesday. “If you have the coronavirus, it has an impact as well.”
Republicans have already voiced their dissent against the bill, with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell calling it “absolutely absurd”.
McConnell on Pelosi/25th Amdt:
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 9, 2020
That's absurd. Absolutely absurd. Again, right here in his last three weeks before the election, I think those kinds of wild comments should be largely discounted.
We’ll be tuning into the press conference and will provide live updates here.
Updated
The Washington Post obtained an appraisal of more than 150 acres of woodlands in New York City suburbs that the Trump Organization used to receive a $21.1 million tax break for preservation.
The estate is known as Seven Spring as is located in Westchester county, the county of suburbs directly north of New York City. A 2016 appraisal from 2016 valued Seven Spring at $56.5 million, which is more than double the value that three Westchester towns that contain a piece of the property assessed.
Here’s more from the Washington Post:
The Seven Springs appraisal, obtained by The Washington Post, appears to have relied on unsupported assertions and misleading conclusions that boosted the value of Trump’s charitable gift — and his tax break, according to two independent appraisers who reviewed the document at The Post’s request.
The appraisal was written by Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm that has worked with Trump over many years and whose New York City headquarters are in a building co-owned by Trump.
The firm established the value of the 212-acre estate by assuming a future buyer could build and sell 24 mansions on the land, without providing evidence that such a subdivision would meet local regulations. Over two decades, Trump himself tried and failed to build on Seven Springs — first a golf course and later various housing developments — but the projects were stymied amid local opposition and environmental disputes.
Broadway will stay dark until May 30, 2021, the Broadway League announced this morning, extending its reopen date by four months.
The announcement means that Broadway shows will have been shut down for over a year over the course of the pandemic, having closed down on March 12, 2020 as cases started to surge in New York City. At the time, 31 shows were running, including 8 shows that were in preview, according to Broadway World.
Individual productions will decide when to resume performances once the shutdown is lifted. Broadway League says there are nearly 97,000 workers who will remain out of work until the theatre district is reopened.
The Broadway League says that all Broadway shows will remain suspended through May 30, 2021. pic.twitter.com/dnERanFy2b
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) October 9, 2020
Good morning, this is Lauren Aratani taking over for Martin Belam.
Just over 7 million Americans have casted their votes for the general presidential election, according to the US Election Project, which has been monitoring mail ballot activity.
The data confirms that an unprecedented number of Americans will be casting their ballots by mail this year. Around the same time in October 2016, about 430,000 people had cast their votes by mail.
Using data from over 30 states, Michael McDonald, a professor at the University of Florida, has been keeping track of early voting reports that states release ahead of Election Day on November 3.
While most states do not include party registration information with their data, nine states include that information, including California, Florida and Ohio, a major swing state. In the nine states with data on 2.9 million early voters, 1.6 million are registered Democrat while 714,000 are Republicans. Over 500,000 of those voters are registered independents.
#earlyvote morning update 10/9
— Michael McDonald (@ElectProject) October 9, 2020
At least 7 million people have voted in the 2020 general election https://t.co/s8K2xFDeSA pic.twitter.com/jRuoNgQR8b
Qasim Rashid, who is standing for the Democratic party in Virginia’s 1st congressional district, has just joined in Twitter’s current meme for posting pictures showing how it started and how it’s going – and it’s a doozy.
How it started, 1977:
— Qasim Rashid for Congress (@QasimRashid) October 9, 2020
My father, a Pakistani immigrant, in front of the Statue of Liberty
How it's going, 2020:
Me on the ballot to become the first Pakistani-American elected to US Congress pic.twitter.com/HepQBskRie
And that is it from me in London this week, I’ll see you here on Monday. Lauren Aratani will be along to take you through the rest of the day…
Kayliegh McEnany has just raised again the completely unsubtantiated claims by the Trump campaign that Joe Biden uses artificial aides to help him during public appearances and debates. She is citing this as a reason that Trump will not debate Biden virtually.
.@PressSec says Trump won't do a virtual debate because Biden would be “in a forum where he’d have access to maybe teleprompters, who knows, the president certainly wouldn't be there to hold him accountable." pic.twitter.com/aTxlzWqFs8
— Alli Hedges Maser (@AllisonLHedges) October 9, 2020
Last week the Trump campaign issued Facebook ads using a manipulated image to falsely claim that Joe Biden had used an earpiece during the first TV debate.
We are getting an update on the president’s health from Kayleigh McEnany, who, of course, has coronavirus herself. She just told Fox News that Trump’s doctor has said he believes Trump will be ‘ready to go’ on Saturday. They added that the president will be tested for Covid-19, will not go in public if he still can transmit the virus.
"He won't be out there if he can transmit the virus,” Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who has coronavirus, says in a remote interview on Fox News.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) October 9, 2020
"There will be a test in place and rest assured that test will show it's not transmissable.” pic.twitter.com/c97FiwCymU
Isaiah Murtaugh reports for us today on how mail-in voting isn’t fixing voting access for rural Native Americans this year.
“Mail voting just does not work for the Navajo Nation,” said Lauren Bernally, an attorney with the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission (NNHRC).
Tribal advocates estimate that some voters have to drive anywhere from 40 to 150 miles roundtrip to pick up their mail. But the Arizona lawsuit Yazzie v Hobbs also pointed out that the reservation’s 27,425 square miles are covered by just 24 post offices and 15 postal service providers. The slightly smaller state of West Virginia has roughly 10 times the population, but it’s covered by 725 post offices and postal service provider sites.
If a potential voter shares a PO box with family or friends but their name isn’t registered to it they might not have a way to receive a mail ballot at all. If they do manage to receive a ballot and drop it back at the post office, it could go through a routing maze that adds days to its delivery time, even in a normal year.
In August, the voting rights group Four Directions tracked test pieces of mail sent from local post offices to their corresponding county recorder’s office, and found that mail posted on the reservation has to travel as much as 244 miles further than mail posted off-reservation. There are currently no 24/7 ballot drop boxes and just one early voting site for every 1,532 square miles, according to the Four Directions attorney OJ Semans. And that’s if voters can get registered.
Read it here: Mail-in voting isn’t fixing voting access for rural Native Americans
‘Naked ballots’ has entered the public consciousness this year in the way that ‘hanging chads’ did in 2000.
ABC News report on the decision by the state supreme court that Pennsylvania will become the first and only state to disqualify ballots received without a required secrecy envelope – the ‘naked ballots’ – while giving voters no recourse to fix the mistake.
Election officials have warned that new enforcement of the longstanding rule, mandated last month by the state’s supreme court, could result in the rejection of as many as 100,000 ballots statewide by one estimate.
“This is a state that Donald Trump won by 44,000 votes. So when you think about a hundred thousand votes potentially being tossed out, it’s a really big issue,” said Bethany Hallam, a member of the Allegheny County Board of Elections.
State law requires voters to seal mail-in ballots in a second envelope “printed, stamped or endorsed ‘Official Absentee Ballot.’” The process was aimed at protecting voter privacy in an age when ballots were extracted by hand, sometimes in public view.
But for years, amid a shift toward automation and ballot processing at secure election offices, officials have shown leniency counting otherwise valid ballots that only arrive in a single, outer envelope.
“It’s not a fatal flaw,” said Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote At Home Institute and a leading nonpartisan expert on election administration and policy. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the voter’s eligibility, and it has nothing to do with the voter successfully marking their ballot.”
Pennsylvania will be closely fought for, though our swing state polls tracker currently gives Joe Biden the edge for the state’s 20 electoral college votes.
Read more here: ABC News – ‘Naked ballots’ in Pennsylvania could be election wild card
Associated Press report that the mother and sisters of a Black teen who was killed by a suburban Milwaukee police officer have been arrested by police who were cracking down on protesters out after a curfew following a decision not to charge the officer.
Alvin Cole’s mother, Tracy Cole, and his sisters, Taleavia and Tristiana Cole, were arrested about 8:30pm Thursday along with several others in a church parking lot in Wauwatosa, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, citing multiple witnesses.
Cole family attorney Kimberley Motley tweeted that Tracy Cole was arrested “for peacefully protesting” and “ended up in the hospital.”
Motley later tweeted that Tracy and Tristiana Cole were released from the hospital. Details on why they were at the hospital weren’t immediately known.
A Facebook livestream that captured only audio of Tracy Cole was made by a third daughter, the newspaper reported. On a recording of it, Tracy Cole could be heard screaming in pain as she was being arrested, saying police injured her arm, hit her in the head and used a stun gun on her.
Wauwatosa police tweeted Thursday night that “several” people were arrested, and said one woman requested medical attention and was taken to a hospital.
The city was under a 7pm curfew during a second night of protests after Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm decided not to charge Wauwatosa Officer Joseph Mensah, who is also Black, with the shooting death of Cole, 17, in February outside Mayfair Mall.
According to investigators’ reports, Cole had a gun and fired it. Chisholm said it appeared he shot himself in the arm. Officers said Cole refused commands to drop the weapon, prompting Mensah to fire.
Motley, the Cole family attorney, has said she plans to file a federal lawsuit against Wauwatosa Police Officer Joseph Mensah.
The death of Alvin Cole was the third fatal shooting by Mensah in the last five years. Mensah shot and killed Antonio Gonzales in 2015 after police said Gonzales refused to drop a sword. A year later Mensah shot Jay Anderson Jr. In that case, Mensah found Anderson in a car parked in a park after hours.
Mensah said he saw a gun on the passenger seat and thought Anderson was reaching for it, so he shot him. Mensah wasn’t charged in either shooting.
The Hill have what they are labelling an exclusive this morning with more details about how the Director of National Intelligence briefed lawmakers of foreign influence threats to Congress last month. Olivia Beavers writes:
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe led intelligence officials in separately briefing the House and Senate Intelligence panels behind closed doors on the threats, informing lawmakers that the burgeoning foreign influence threat is being perpetrated by the usual suspects: China, Russia and Iran, though he indicated that Beijing was the primary aggressor.
Ratcliffe gave ballpark estimates of how many lawmakers have been targeted, suggesting it is from the dozens to roughly 50. But in the briefings, he declined to identify which members of Congress were the targets and he did not indicate if one party was being more heavily targeted than the other.
But there is a debate in the intelligence sphere over what Ratcliffe considers interference, including distinguishing election interference from foreign government lobbying, foreign government pressure or foreign government influence.
Some sources said Ratcliffe appeared to be categorizing efforts by countries such as China to lobby members of Congress to support a certain agenda — something viewed as a fairly common practice by foreign nations — as an effort to interfere.
Read more here: The Hill – Intelligence chief briefed lawmakers of foreign influence threats to Congress
Also for your diary, we’ve got a live online discussion of the US election coming up on Tuesday 20 October at 2pm ET, featuring a panel of our leading journalists.
It will feature senior political reporter Daniel Strauss; political correspondent Lauren Gambino; columnist Richard Wolffe; and be chaired by Guardian columnist and podcast presenter Jonathan Freedland.
There are more details and the ability to book your tickets here: Guardian Newsroom: The US presidential election
Here’s something to note for your diary this evening…
Fox News medical contributor Marc Siegel will interview Trump for an interview to air on Tucker Carlson's show tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern. Siegel, in New York, will question Trump, who will be at the White House. It's the president's first on-camera interview since he got covid.
— James Hohmann (@jameshohmann) October 9, 2020
Federal judge declines to extend voter registration in Florida
You may recall that earlier this week the voter registration system crashed in Florida, leading to Gov. Ron DeSantis temporarily extending the voter registration deadline. There was a legal case to try and extend it further, but that’s not going to happen.
Associated Press report that a federal judge has denied a motion to extend voter registration despite the computer meltdown. In a 29-page ruling this morning, US District Court Judge Mark E. Walker noted the historical problems the state seems to have with elections.
“Notwithstanding the fact that cinemas across the country remain closed, somehow, I feel like I’ve seen this movie before. Just shy of a month from election day, with the earliest mail-in ballots beginning to be counted, Florida has done it again,” Walker wrote.
Data filed by the state indicates that 50,000 people registered during the extended time period. Based on previous trends, the judge noted, perhaps more than 20,000 additional people might have also registered to vote, if they had been able to access the system. Nevertheless, there will be no further opportunity.
Updated
As well as Michigan, the result from Wisconsin will play a significant role in putting together the required number of electoral college votes for either Trump or Biden to make it into the White House. Giovanni Russonello has had a look at the latest polling there for the New York Times Poll Watch. He writes:
Marquette has released a Wisconsin poll each month since June, and in every one Biden has held a single-digit lead among likely voters that was within the margin of error. This reflects the steadiness of a race in which Wisconsinites largely know where they stand: Roughly four in five voters have consistently expressed a strong opinion of Trump’s leadership, whether positive or negative, according to Marquette’s data.
But if there are any small signs of momentum, it appears to be breaking Biden’s way. His 48 percent approval rating in the poll released this week was his best in a Marquette survey all year, capping a 14-point rise since February. Trump, meanwhile, was seen positively by 42 percent of Wisconsin voters, leaving his net favorability rating more than 10 points in the red, where it has languished since June.
Concern about the pandemic has ticked upward recently. More than six in 10 Wisconsin voters in the Marquette poll described themselves as at least fairly worried — up from 21 percent last month. Fully 50 percent of Wisconsin voters said they did not expect the virus to be under control for at least another year, running counter to Trump’s insistence that it is already being handled effectively.
You can keep an eye on all the latest polling data from the key swing states with our US election polls tracker.
While on the topic of tariffs, Rajesh Kumar Singh has been reporting for Reuters on how the Trump administrations broken promises and tariff-raising policy on steel has impacted the job market negatively in the crucial battleground state of Michigan.
Four years after Trump promised a new dawn for the struggling US steel industry, Great Lakes Works - once among the state’s largest steel plants - has shut down steelmaking operations and put 1,250 workers out of a job. A year before plant owner United States Steel Corp called off a plan to invest $600 million in upgrades.
Trump’s strategy had centered on shielding US steel mills from foreign competition with a 25% tariff imposed in March 2018. He also promised to boost steel demand through major investments in roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
But higher steel prices resulting from the tariffs dented demand from the Michigan-based US auto industry and other steel consumers. And the Trump administration has never followed through on an infrastructure plan.
Nationally, the steel industry has been shedding jobs for the past year - since before the wider economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic - and now employs 1,900 fewer workers than it did when Trump took office, according to US Labor Department data
While the tariffs failed to boost overall steel employment, economists say they created higher costs for major steel consumers - killing jobs at companies including Detroit-based automakers General Motors and Ford. Nationally, steel and aluminum tariffs resulted in at least 75,000 job losses in metal-using industries by the end of last year, according to an analysis by Lydia Cox, a Ph.D. candidate in economics at Harvard University, and Kadee Russ, an economics professor at the University of California, Davis.
In all, they estimated, the trade war had caused a net loss of 175,000 US manufacturing jobs by mid-2019.
Democrats say they aim to recapture the votes of blue-collar workers they lost to Trump four years ago - one key factor in his victory over Hillary Clinton. Trump won Michigan by less than one percent of the statewide vote total.
Singh questions though whether such statistics will change swing-state voters’ minds. He spoke to Bill Wischman, a financial manager at a Ford manufacturing facility in Plymouth, Michigan, who says Trump has done more to protect US manufacturing than any of his predecessors.
“He has given a whole-hearted effort,” said 51 year old Wischman, who voted for Trump in 2016.
A bit of economics news, as Reuters are snapping that the US is imposing new tariffs on $1.96 billion worth of aluminum sheet products from 18 countries after determining that the goods were being dumped
In an interview on Fox Business Network, commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said that the move came after the department made a preliminary determination about the dumping, but that the tariffs were being immediately imposed on countries such as Bahrain, Brazil, Germany and India, among others.
The news that a right-wing militia group was involved in a plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer has only increased worries about how these groups, encouraged by the president, may act in the run-up to the election.
In last week’s TV debate, Donald Trump gave this call to action: “I’m urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully, because that’s what has to happen. I’m urging them to do it.”
For those who monitor the activities of far-right militia groups and white-supremacist paramilitaries, Trump’s remarks were as welcome as jet fuel being used to quell a wildfire.
“The militias will absolutely seize on [Trump’s comments],” said Steven Gardiner, who tracks militias at the progressive thinktank Political Research Associates. “The possibility of armed factions with military-style rifles showing up at polling places is very troubling.”
Devin Burghart, the director of the anti-bigotry organization the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, had a similar sinking sensation when he heard Trump’s words. “My first thought was ‘Here we go’. This is the stuff of our worst nightmares.”
The US president’s clarion call to his supporters to intervene at polling places on election day comes at a perilous moment. As the country is battered by the combined winds of the pandemic and Trump’s personal battle against the virus, the Black Lives Matter reckoning over racial injustice, and the pending turbulent election, the US is not only more virulently divided than at any time in decades, it is also more heavily armed.
FBI background checks – a direct indicator of gun sales – almost doubled year-on-year this summer, a reflection of the jitters that abound. As America arms itself, deadly weaponry is increasingly finding its way on to the streets, borne by self-styled private militias and culminating in violent clashes that have caused bloodshed in several US cities.
Read more here: ‘Our worst nightmare’: Will militias heed Trump’s call to watch the polls?
Donald Trump may be the highest profile coronavirus patient in the US, but the same cannot be said of his wife Melania, who has been rather more conspicuous by her absence.
The first lady hasn’t been seen in public since her positive Covid diagnosis. On Friday 2 October she tweeted that she had ‘mild symptoms’, and then three days laters confirmed that she was ‘feeling good’ and would continue to rest at home.
Since then, aside from expressing regret that she could no longer attend a roundtable with former foster children at Colorado Christian University, there have been no further direct updates from the first lady on her health. On Wednesday her chief of staff Stephanie Grisham said that the Melania Trump “continues to feel well”.
The most recent comment has come from the president. On Thursday morning in a telephone interview with Fox Business, asked by host Maria Bartiromo “How are you feeling? How is the first lady feeling?”, Melania’s husband replied “She’s feeling good, I’m feeling good, really good. We’re ready to go.”
Melania Trump has though, continued to campaign for causes during her illness. Although it isn’t clear when it was filmed, a week ago she posted a video to Instagram in support of National Substance Use Prevention Month. She has been active again on social media in the last twenty-four hours in support of the cause.
Updated
Axios have what they are calling a scoop this morning, that attorney general William Barr has told Republicans that the Durham report into the Russian investigation will not be released before the election. Alayna Treene writes:
Attorney General Bill Barr has begun telling top Republicans that the Justice Department’s sweeping review into the origins of the Russia investigation will not be released before the election, a senior White House official and a congressional aide briefed on the conversations tell Axios.
Republicans had long hoped the report, led by U.S. Attorney John Durham, would be a bombshell containing revelations about what they allege were serious abuses by the Obama administration and intelligence community probing for connections between President Trump and Russia.
“This is the nightmare scenario. Essentially, the year and a half of arguably the number one issue for the Republican base is virtually meaningless if this doesn’t happen before the election,” a GOP congressional aide told Axios.
Trump has been repeatedly tweeting about the investigation over the last couple of days, at one point demanding “Where are all of the arrests?”
Read it here: Axios – Barr tells Republicans Durham report won’t be ready by election
If you fancy something to wrap your ear around, our Politics Weekly Extra podcast today looks back at the week in US politics, asking if Trump’s handling of Covid-19 will be his undoing.
Jonathan Freedland talks to the our columnist Moira Donegan about why the pandemic might be the one issue Trump can’t talk his way out of, and to Lauren Gambino about what swing states tell us about modern US politics.
Eugene Robinson writes for the Washington Post this morning an op-ed in which he sees no prospect of Trump mitigating the worst excesses of his behaviour ahead of November’s election. Robinson says:
Predictions are risky these days, but I make this one confidently: President Trump’s frantic desperation at the prospect of losing the election will only get worse. Probably much worse.
I know that seems impossible, given the volume of vitriol now spewing hourly from the president. And I know it makes no political sense for Trump to continue to sound like a deranged end-of-days preacher yelling at random passersby. But nothing in Trump’s history suggests he will abandon his reelection “strategy” of unceasing bombast, transparent lies, manufactured grievance, unhinged conspiracy-mongering and an unforgivable attempt to disrupt the electoral process itself.
Another day, another flood of dangerous and offensive nonsense: In a single telephone interview Thursday with Fox Business Network, Trump vowed not to attend a virtual debate next week complaining that the moderator would actually be able to cut him off; called Biden’s running mate a “monster” and a “communist,” among other insults; and described himself as a “perfect physical specimen,” saying he believed he had been “cured” of Covid-19, a disease for which there is no known cure.
Trump has two good reasons to panic. Foremost are the recent polls showing that his political support is clearly eroding. The other calamity Trump faces is his own diagnosis. It is hard to argue that Covid is under control when the most powerful, most heavily protected man in the nation became a victim of the pandemic.
Read it here: Washington Post – Trump’s frantic desperation will only get worse
Yesterday Nancy Pelosi said of the president “His disassociation from reality would be funny if it weren’t so deadly.”
Here’s a clip of her talking about Donald Trump’s health and sanity.
US gulf coast braces for yet another climate crisis-fueled hurricane
Lousiana is expecting its sixth hurricane of a record-breaking season today.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards noted in a radio show that Delta appeared headed for the same area near the Texas state line that was devastated earlier this year by Hurricane Laura, including Lake Charles and surrounding Calcasieu Parish, and rural Cameron Parish on the coast. “And we’ve got people who are very tired,” he said.
Forecasters said Delta, the 25th named storm of an unprecedented Atlantic hurricane season, would likely crash ashore Friday evening somewhere on southwest Louisiana’s coast. The question was whether it would remain at devastating Category 3 strength, with top winds of 120 mph (195 kph) early Friday, or drop just before landfall to a still extremely dangerous Category 2 storm.
In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves has also declared a state of emergency like his Louisiana counterpart, report the Associated Press. Forecasters said southern Mississippi could see heavy rain and flash flooding.
Updated
The surprise break-out social media hit from Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris was the fly that landed on Pence’s head, and happily stayed there for a full two minutes.
The Joe Biden campaign were to swift to capitalise on the buzz it created. Not long after the debate ended, they posted to their social media channel a picture of Biden holding a fly-sway, with the message ‘Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly’.
Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly. https://t.co/CqHAId0j8t pic.twitter.com/NbkPl0a8HV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 8, 2020
But the campaign wasn’t done yet. A couple of hours later in the Biden store you could buy Biden-branded fly-swats with the message ‘Truth over flies’.
Swats away flies and lies. Get yours today: https://t.co/ehsECKfDPO pic.twitter.com/oVLHHmq85c
— Team Joe (Text JOE to 30330) (@TeamJoe) October 8, 2020
The $10 swatters swiftly sold out, shifting 35,000 units according to Zach McNamara, the merchandise director for the Biden campaign.
In a pun-laden statement, he told the media: “We saw the internet and our supporters sharing a viral moment online, so our digital team came together on the fly, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will always choose truth over lies, science over fiction, and unity over division.”
The Biden campaign are not the only people to cash-in on the fly’s big moment.
One Etsy seller, Artemisa Clark, says she has sold over 1,500 face masks that are emblazoned with an image of Pence and the fly.
And the Milwaukee-based National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has begun pre-selling a $25 numbered limited edition bobblehead doll of Pence with the fly.
In a reference to the Covid precautions taken during the TV debate, the model features ‘a plexiglass-like barrier’ as well as a mini fly swatter.
Election related novelty merchandise can be big business. Earlier this week the White House Gift Shop website – which is not affiliated with the White House – began taking orders for a $100 commemorative coin to celebrate US president Donald Trump “defeating” Covid.
NBC News report that the families of Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King Jr. have blasted the Trump campaign for using pictures of the civil rights icons in a new campaign ad. Dareh Gregorian reports:
The families of Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King Jr. are blasting the Trump campaign for using the civil rights icons pictures in a new campaign ad.
“The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in. We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed!” Robinson’s daughter, Sharon Robinson, tweeted on Thursday.
“The families of the late Black icons aren’t having it,” she later wrote on Twitter.
King’s daughter Bernice King tweeted at the president on Wednesday, saying, “I find President Trump’s use of my father’s image in his political ad beyond insulting and not reflective of #MLK’s commitment to creating the #BelovedCommunity. My father should not be used in ways strongly misaligned with his vision and value.”
The campaign spot uses images of Brooklyn Dodgers’ Robinson and King early on, before ending by showing images of damage from looting and burning flags, while warning than an unidientified “they” want “to destroy our traditions.”
Read it here: NBC News – Jackie Robinson, MLK images in Trump ad leaves their families ‘insulted’
You’re going to be hearing the phrase “25th amendment” a lot today. Here’s a reminder of what section 4 of it says:
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Section four then goes on to outline a dispute mechanism for if the president is insisting he or she is fit to continue.
The amendment was passed in 1965, and ratified in 1967, in the wake of the assassination of John F. Kennedy to formalise the process of a vice president taking over.
Rebecca Harrington and Lauren Frias at Business Insider had a look last week at how it all works in practice.
Adam Gabbatt in New York has more for us on how that alleged plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer unravelled. He writes:
“Snatch and grab, man,” Adam Fox told an FBI informant in July. “Grab the fuckin’ governor. Just grab the bitch. Because at that point, we do that, dude – it’s over.”
Fox, from Michigan, is now facing a potential life sentence, along with five other men, for an elaborate plan to kidnap the state’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and put her on trial for “treason”, according to the FBI.
The chilling plot, revealed in an FBI affidavit released on Thursday, was a months-long effort that also saw members of a rightwing militia consider forgoing the kidnapping and instead executing Whitmer on her doorstep.
The FBI document showed just how far along the men got in their planning, and how credible the threat became against Whitmer. In recent months, Whitmer has become a focal point of anti-government sentiment and anger over coronavirus lockdown measures.
According to the affidavit, plotters twice surveilled the governor’s vacation home and discussed blowing up a bridge leading to the house and using a boat to flee with the captured Whitmer.
Read more here: How the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan’s Democratic governor unravelled
“When I put my hand on the Bible, and took the oath of office 22 months ago, I knew this job would be hard. But I’ll be honest, and never could have imagined anything like this.”
Those are the words of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer yesterday, responding to the development that six people links to a rightwing militia group have been charged with a plot to kidnap her. She had strong words for the president.
Just last week, the President of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups. ‘Stand back and stand by’ he told them. ‘Stand back and stand by’. Hate groups heard the President’s words, not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry. As a call to action.
Joe Biden also came out yesterday to criticise Donald Trump. Trump had previously tweeted “Liberate Michigan” in response to the state’s Covid restrictions.
You saw what the head of the FBI said a couple of days ago. He said the greatest terrorist threat in America is from white supremacists. Why can’t the president just say, stop, stop, stop, stop, and we will pursue you if you don’t.
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics for Friday. As we close in on the election, the day is likely to continue to be dominated by speculation about the president’s health. Here’s a quick catch-up of where we are, and a little of what we might expect to see today…
- Donald Trump has said he is planning to hold a Florida rally on Saturday – but he’s refused to disclose whether he has now tested negative for the coronavirus. Demand has surged for Regeneron – the drug that Trump claims ‘cures’ Covid-19.
- The debate schedule is in disarray after Trump refused to take part in a planned virtual event next week.
- House speaker Nancy Pelosi and congressman Jamie Raskin will hold a press conference on legislation that would assess the president’s mental and physical capacity to discharge his duties as laid out in the 25th Amendment at 10:15am ET.
- Six people were charged in a plot to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.
- Facebook removed hundreds of fake profiles tied to a pro-Trump group.
- The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is announced today at 5am ET. Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden have been nominated by foreign lawmakers. Greta Thunberg and the Russian dissident Alexei Navalny may have a better shout this year.
- Trump has got nothing in his diary for today. Biden is campaigning in Nevada. He’ll address a drive-in at Las Vegas.
- Vice president Mike Pence had been scheduled to visit Indiana, but the trip was cancelled, so he’ll be in DC.
I’m Martin Belam – you can get in touch with me at martin.belam@theguardian.com
