Donald Trump went on a wild rant accusing Obama administration Justice Department officials of "treason" as the agency moved to drop all charges against his first national security adviser, retired Army General Michael Flynn.
The Trump administration Justice Department, meanwhile, moved to block the release of materials from Robert Muller's Russia probe being handed over to Congress, while Trump himself vetoed legislation that limited a president's ability to wage war against Iran without the approval of Congress.
Both the Trump and Biden campaigns exchanged attack ads in an escalation of the 2020 election, pitting the president's coronavirus response against the ex-VP's record on China. By late Thursday, Biden's had the higher ratings.
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Hello and welcome to The Independent's rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in the US and the Donald Trump administration's response to it.
Trump says Covid-19 'worst attack' on US since Pearl Harbour and 9/11 as criticism of China escalates
Donald Trump has described the coronavirus outbreak as the “worst attack” the US has ever seen on its soil, surpassing Pearl Harbour and 9/11, blaming China for failing to contain the disease.
"This is worse than Pearl Harbour. This is worse than the World Trade Centre. And it should have never happened. It could have been stopped at the source. It could have been stopped in China. It should have been stopped right at the source, and it wasn't," he said at a White House gathering where he signed a proclamation honouring National Nurses Day.
Secretary of state Mike Pompeo also resumed his criticism of Beijing on Wednesday, insisting: “They knew. China could have prevented the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. China could have spared the world descent into global economic malaise.”
Covid-19 has killed more than 255,000 people worldwide, including more than 70,000 in the US, making it the worst-affected country according to official statistics.
The virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. Most experts believe it originated in a market there selling wildlife and jumped from animals to people, although Pompeo has said there is significant evidence it came from a laboratory.
Pompeo pushed back against suggestions that he and other members of the Trump administration have issued conflicting statements about the exact origins of the novel coronavirus.
On Sunday, Pompeo said there was "a significant amount of evidence" the virus emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, having said the previous Thursday it was not known whether it came from the lab, a so-called wet market, or elsewhere. The institute itself has denied the charge.
On Wednesday, Pompeo said the United States did not have certainty, but there was significant evidence it came from the lab. "Every one of those statements is entirely consistent," he said. "We are all trying to figure out the right answer. We are all trying to get the clarity."
Drr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of Trump's Coronavirus Task Force, said in an interview published on Monday that the best evidence showed the virus was not made in a lab, but appeared to have "evolved in nature and then jumped species."
Trump was asked last week if he had seen evidence that gave him a "high degree of confidence" that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute and replied that he had, although he declined to give specifics.
Pompeo insisted yesterday China was still withholding virus samples he said were needed for global vaccine research.
"They continue to be opaque, they continue to deny access for this important information that our research or epidemiologists need," he said.
"People say, well America is bullying the Chinese. We are demanding of them only what we demand of every nation: be transparent, be open, be a reliable partner, the very things that they say. The Chinese say they want to cooperate. Great. Cooperation is about action."
He also took aim at the World Health Organisation (WHO).
"It's not only that they didn't enforce... the WHO needs to still demand that there be an investigation," Pompeo said, adding that WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus needed to be "just as concerned as the United States... and other countries that we still don't have access to the answers we need."
Donald Trump has described the coronavirus outbreak as the “worst attack” the US has ever seen on its soil, surpassing Pearl Harbour and 9/11, blaming China for failing to contain the disease.
"This is worse than Pearl Harbour. This is worse than the World Trade Centre. And it should have never happened. It could have been stopped at the source. It could have been stopped in China. It should have been stopped right at the source, and it wasn't," he said at a White House gathering where he signed a proclamation honouring National Nurses Day.
Secretary of state Mike Pompeo also resumed his criticism of Beijing on Wednesday, insisting: “They knew. China could have prevented the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. China could have spared the world descent into global economic malaise.”
Covid-19 has killed more than 255,000 people worldwide, including more than 70,000 in the US, making it the worst-affected country according to official statistics.
The virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. Most experts believe it originated in a market there selling wildlife and jumped from animals to people, although Pompeo has said there is significant evidence it came from a laboratory.
Pompeo pushed back against suggestions that he and other members of the Trump administration have issued conflicting statements about the exact origins of the novel coronavirus.
On Sunday, Pompeo said there was "a significant amount of evidence" the virus emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, having said the previous Thursday it was not known whether it came from the lab, a so-called wet market, or elsewhere. The institute itself has denied the charge.
On Wednesday, Pompeo said the United States did not have certainty, but there was significant evidence it came from the lab. "Every one of those statements is entirely consistent," he said. "We are all trying to figure out the right answer. We are all trying to get the clarity."
Drr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of Trump's Coronavirus Task Force, said in an interview published on Monday that the best evidence showed the virus was not made in a lab, but appeared to have "evolved in nature and then jumped species."
Trump was asked last week if he had seen evidence that gave him a "high degree of confidence" that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute and replied that he had, although he declined to give specifics.
Pompeo insisted yesterday China was still withholding virus samples he said were needed for global vaccine research.
"They continue to be opaque, they continue to deny access for this important information that our research or epidemiologists need," he said.
"People say, well America is bullying the Chinese. We are demanding of them only what we demand of every nation: be transparent, be open, be a reliable partner, the very things that they say. The Chinese say they want to cooperate. Great. Cooperation is about action."
He also took aim at the World Health Organisation (WHO).
"It's not only that they didn't enforce... the WHO needs to still demand that there be an investigation," Pompeo said, adding that WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus needed to be "just as concerned as the United States... and other countries that we still don't have access to the answers we need."
President says popularity of Coronavirus Task Force stopped him disbanding team
Trump otherwise used his latest press session at the White House to explain that he decided against disbanding his task force on the disease after learning how popular the team had become.
The Wall Street Journal had reported on Tuesday that he was planning to remove the likes of Dr Deborah Birx and Dr Fauci from the national spotlight but the president relented in a four-part tweet yesterday morning in which he praised the unit for doing a "fantastic job" in unprecedented circumstances.
“I thought we could wind it down sooner. But I had no idea how popular the task force is until actually yesterday when I started talking about winding down. It is appreciated by the public,” he elaborated yesterday.
Here's John T Bennett's report.
Trump smears hydroxychloroquine whistleblower as 'disgruntled employee'
The president also took the opportunity yesterday to discredit government whistleblower Dr Rick Bright, who sounded the alarm over the quack remedy hydroxychloroquine that Trump and his Fox News allies spent weeks promoting at the start of this crisis and then suddenly fell quiet on when it emerged the anti-malaria treatment could cause heart attacks in certain cases.
Of the conscientious Dr Bright, head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority until he was unceremoniously ousted, Trump commented in trademark style: "I never met Dr Bright. I don’t know who he is. I didn’t hear good things about him. I did not hear good things about him at all. And to me he seems like a disgruntled employee that’s trying to help the Democrats win an election."
The expert issued a stunning complaint earlier this week and has said he is more than happy to talk to Congress about the cronyism he encountered within the administration.
Here's Griffin Connolly with the full story.
The president also took the opportunity yesterday to discredit government whistleblower Dr Rick Bright, who sounded the alarm over the quack remedy hydroxychloroquine that Trump and his Fox News allies spent weeks promoting at the start of this crisis and then suddenly fell quiet on when it emerged the anti-malaria treatment could cause heart attacks in certain cases.
Of the conscientious Dr Bright, head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority until he was unceremoniously ousted, Trump commented in trademark style: "I never met Dr Bright. I don’t know who he is. I didn’t hear good things about him. I did not hear good things about him at all. And to me he seems like a disgruntled employee that’s trying to help the Democrats win an election."
The expert issued a stunning complaint earlier this week and has said he is more than happy to talk to Congress about the cronyism he encountered within the administration.
Here's Griffin Connolly with the full story.
President contradicts nurse on availability of PPE in hospitals
In one of those moments that would have had his advisers twitching uncomfortably out of shot, Trump yesterday contradicted a nurse during yesterday's session when she said personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies remain “sporadic” in hospitals in her experience.
“Certainly, there are pockets of areas where PPE is not ideal but this is an unprecedented time, and the infection control measures that we learned back when we went to school - one gown, one mask for one patient a day or for a time - this is a different time,” said Sophia Thomas, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, who works in New Orleans, Louisiana. “I’ve been reusing my N95 mask for a few weeks now. I just broke out a new one to come here in case I needed to wear it.”
“My youngest patient has been four days old - a four-day-old infant,” she continued. “And so PPE has been sporadic, but it’s been manageable, and we do what we have to do. We’re nurses, and we learn to adapt and we do whatever the best thing that we can do for our patients to get the job done and get the care provided. And that’s what we’re going to continue to do as Covid-19 continues.”
Trump interjected suddenly to say: “Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people....Because I’ve heard the opposite.”
In one of those moments that would have had his advisers twitching uncomfortably out of shot, Trump yesterday contradicted a nurse during yesterday's session when she said personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies remain “sporadic” in hospitals in her experience.
“Certainly, there are pockets of areas where PPE is not ideal but this is an unprecedented time, and the infection control measures that we learned back when we went to school - one gown, one mask for one patient a day or for a time - this is a different time,” said Sophia Thomas, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, who works in New Orleans, Louisiana. “I’ve been reusing my N95 mask for a few weeks now. I just broke out a new one to come here in case I needed to wear it.”
“My youngest patient has been four days old - a four-day-old infant,” she continued. “And so PPE has been sporadic, but it’s been manageable, and we do what we have to do. We’re nurses, and we learn to adapt and we do whatever the best thing that we can do for our patients to get the job done and get the care provided. And that’s what we’re going to continue to do as Covid-19 continues.”
Trump interjected suddenly to say: “Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people....Because I’ve heard the opposite.”
Alex Woodward has more on this.
Trump advises teachers over 60 against teaching in-person ‘for a while’ as he implores schools to reopen
One final snippet from yesterday's press huddle was this suprisingy sensible proclamation about safeguarding the health of older teachers as the US sets about relaxing its social distancing rules and remerging from lockdown.
Danielle Zoellner has this one.
New press secretary says mass testing for deadly virus 'simply nonsensical'
Also appearing before the media yesterday was Trump's new press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who has already made herself more readily available for comment than predecessor Stephanie Grisham ever did.
McEnany did not manage to avoid controversy, however, describing the idea of mass testing for coronavirus as "simply nonsensical", fudging the projected morality rate to the president's advantage and hitting back when reminded of her own past insistence in a Fox News interview that the virus would never reach American shores by reeling off a list of newspaper headlines that had equally failed to stand the test of time.
Here's John T Bennett's assessment of her performance.
US 'just at the beginning' of coronavirus disaster and death toll will reach 100,000 by end of May, says ex-CDC chief
Dr Tom Frieden, the former head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warned US lawmakers on Wednesday to brace for a “long and difficult” war against the coronavirus.
Dr Frieden, who spearheaded the Obama administration's Ebola fightback in 2014, said during a House Appropriations Committee hearing that without a substantial improvement in the national response to the pandemic, the country is on track to top 100,000 deaths by the end of May.
“Until we have an effective vaccine, unless something unexpected happens, our viral enemy will be with us for many months or years,” he told the panel in the first congressional hearing addressing the federal response to the pandemic. “As bad as this has been so far, we’re just at the beginning.”
“The bottom line is that our war against Covid-19 will be long and difficult,” he added.
The session also saw lawmakers on both sides of the aisle lament Trump's refusal to allow Dr Fauci to appear before the House after the president said on Tuesday the lower chamber was "a set up" loaded up with "Trump haters".
“I want the record to show I joined the chairman urging that Dr Fauci be allowed to testify here,” Republican congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma said. “I think it would have been good testimony, useful to this committee and useful to this country. Frankly, I think going forward, this subcommittee, more than any other, is going to need administration input, expert input, as we make the important decisions in front of us.”
Asked about that later, Kayleigh McEnany accused the House Democrats of not acting "in good faith" in pushing for Fauci to appear before Nita Lowey's committee, dimissing a letter the chair had sent to Trump's acting chief of staff as "a publicity stunt".
Oliver O'Connell has this report.
Joe Biden extends poll lead over Trump despite sexual assault allegation
The Democratic nominee-in-waiting has continued to grow his lead over the president in national polls despite his campaign being forced to push back against the Tara Reade allegation against him, dating back to 1993 and his days in the Senate.
The former vice president garnered 50 per cent of support among registered voters in a Monmouth University poll published on Wednesday, a steady increase from prior months. Trump meanwhile held onto 41 per cent of support among voters, as three per cent said they would vote for an independent and another five per cent remained undecided.
Chris Riotta has the latest.
The Democratic nominee-in-waiting has continued to grow his lead over the president in national polls despite his campaign being forced to push back against the Tara Reade allegation against him, dating back to 1993 and his days in the Senate.
The former vice president garnered 50 per cent of support among registered voters in a Monmouth University poll published on Wednesday, a steady increase from prior months. Trump meanwhile held onto 41 per cent of support among voters, as three per cent said they would vote for an independent and another five per cent remained undecided.
Chris Riotta has the latest.
Trump vetoes 'insulting' law passed by Senate barring him from launching war on Iran without congressional authorisation
The president yesterday vetoed legislation limiting a president’s ability to wage war against Iran without the approval of Congress, saying the war powers resolution was “insulting” to the presidency.
In a statement, he argued that the nonbinding legislation “purported to direct me to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces in hostilities against Iran.”
The president has come close to launching an assault against Tehran on at least two occasions, most recently following the assassination of Quds commander Qasem Soleimani on 3 January, which now feels like several decades ago.
Tensions between the two countries have ratched up since Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear pact agreed by Barack Obama in 2015.
Gino Spocchia has more on this.
The president yesterday vetoed legislation limiting a president’s ability to wage war against Iran without the approval of Congress, saying the war powers resolution was “insulting” to the presidency.
In a statement, he argued that the nonbinding legislation “purported to direct me to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces in hostilities against Iran.”
The president has come close to launching an assault against Tehran on at least two occasions, most recently following the assassination of Quds commander Qasem Soleimani on 3 January, which now feels like several decades ago.
Tensions between the two countries have ratched up since Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear pact agreed by Barack Obama in 2015.
Gino Spocchia has more on this.
Trump vows to do away with 'lousy' Obamacare despite warnings from his own close allies
The president insisted yesterday that he will continue trying to revoke his predecessor's Affordable Care Act, even as some in his administration, including attorney general William Barr, have privately argued that parts of the law should be preserved amid a pandemic.
Yep...
“We want to terminate health care under Obamacare,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday, the last day for his administration to change its position in a Supreme Court case challenging the law.
“Obamacare, we run it really well... But running it great, it's still lousy health care.”
Good grief.
"How tone deaf can they be?" Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer asked yesterday, with a heavy sigh.
"How tone deaf can they be?" Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer asked yesterday, with a heavy sigh.
Steven Mnuchin accidentally tweets Liberian flag at Axl Rose in absolutely ridiculous Twitter spat
Honestly, I just don't think I can go any further with this today in good faith without dwelling on this stunningly dumb social media exchange between Trump's treasury secretary and the notorious Guns N' Roses frontman, which took place after the latter took exception to his band's cover of "Live and Let Die" being played on the president's visit to the Honeywell mask factory in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday.
God bless the internet.
Greg Evans has more on this for Indy100.
Honestly, I just don't think I can go any further with this today in good faith without dwelling on this stunningly dumb social media exchange between Trump's treasury secretary and the notorious Guns N' Roses frontman, which took place after the latter took exception to his band's cover of "Live and Let Die" being played on the president's visit to the Honeywell mask factory in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday.
God bless the internet.
Greg Evans has more on this for Indy100.
James Carville: Trump surrounded by 'pack of grifters' who are 'fleecing the campaign'
The "Ragin' Cajun" political strategist was on MSNBC's 11th Hour with Brian Williams last night and it was an absolute hoot.
He said the Democratic Party will need "bazookas", not "club sandwiches", to beat the president in November and made their goal absolutely clear: "The idea is not just to beat him. It is to end the scourge of Trumpism in this country forever."
Carville also offered some stinging analysis of the present adminstration, saying Trump is surrounded by a "pack of grifters".
His 2020 manager Brad Parscale is "fleecing the campaign" and feeding him "fake polls", the pundit said, before likening the Trump project to a "crumbling empire" in which: "Everybody is trying to take everything they can on the way out and prop him up so they can make money".
Chef's kiss.
The "Ragin' Cajun" political strategist was on MSNBC's 11th Hour with Brian Williams last night and it was an absolute hoot.
He said the Democratic Party will need "bazookas", not "club sandwiches", to beat the president in November and made their goal absolutely clear: "The idea is not just to beat him. It is to end the scourge of Trumpism in this country forever."
Carville also offered some stinging analysis of the present adminstration, saying Trump is surrounded by a "pack of grifters".
His 2020 manager Brad Parscale is "fleecing the campaign" and feeding him "fake polls", the pundit said, before likening the Trump project to a "crumbling empire" in which: "Everybody is trying to take everything they can on the way out and prop him up so they can make money".
Chef's kiss.
US jobless total since pandemic hit rises to record 33m
Another 3.2m people have filed for unemployment benefits in the US as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc and cause one of the most expansive job losses in history, with 33m people now having sought aid since the outbreak began.
The country has slipped into one of its worst economic downturns since the Great Depression, with the jobless rate expected to reach at least 16 per cent. Meanwhile, the entire era of historic job expansion following the Great Recession of 2008 has now been wiped out.
Here's Chris Riotta with the latest.
Another 3.2m people have filed for unemployment benefits in the US as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc and cause one of the most expansive job losses in history, with 33m people now having sought aid since the outbreak began.
The country has slipped into one of its worst economic downturns since the Great Depression, with the jobless rate expected to reach at least 16 per cent. Meanwhile, the entire era of historic job expansion following the Great Recession of 2008 has now been wiped out.
Here's Chris Riotta with the latest.
Betsy DeVos's new rules on college sex assault claims give more rights to the accused
People accused of sexual assault on university campuses could have more rights under new rules finalised by the Trump administration's education secretary.
DeVos initially vowed to undertake a complete upheaval of Title IX - the 1972 federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in programmes that receive federal funding - two years ago but faced an uphill battle from critics. She finally announced her changes on Wednesday, which alter how sexual assault misconduct is defined by schools.
In the updated regulations, the definition of sexual harassment is narrowed and the law now requires schools to challenge the evidence through the cross-examination of students in a live hearing.
Other changes also detailed in the more than 2,000-page law include limiting the number of complaints schools are obligated to investigate to only those filed through the formal process.
“Too many students have lost access to their education because their school inadequately responded when a student filed a complaint of sexual harassment or sexual assault,” DeVos said in a statement. “This new regulation requires schools to act in meaningful ways to support survivors of sexual misconduct, without sacrificing important safeguards to ensure a fair and transparent process.”
Here's Danielle Zoellner's report.
White House shelves extensive CDC guide to help states reopen
The administration has just shelved a 17-page CDC report meant to provide state and local officials with step-by-step guidelines on how they can re-emerge safely from lockdown, according to the AP.
The document, entitled “Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework,” was expected to be released last Friday but agency scientists have since been told it will now “never see the light of day”.
Mysterious.
Here's Danielle Zoellner to dig deeper.
The administration has just shelved a 17-page CDC report meant to provide state and local officials with step-by-step guidelines on how they can re-emerge safely from lockdown, according to the AP.
The document, entitled “Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework,” was expected to be released last Friday but agency scientists have since been told it will now “never see the light of day”.
Mysterious.
Here's Danielle Zoellner to dig deeper.
Democrats demand Mike Pompeo share intelligence over claim coronavirus came from Wuhan lab
Secretary Pompeo has been beating his chest at China like an old silverback in recent days but the opposition is calling his bluff.
Connecticut senator Chris Murphy is leading the charge, saying of Trump and Pompeo: “They’re being terribly irresponsible because their statements on the origin of the virus are driven by political considerations. This administration is scurrying to try to deflect blame from a president who is floundering in his response to the epidemic. And China is a very convenient scapegoat.”
Conrad Duncan has the latest.
Trump's campaign manager does not appear to have seen Star Wars all the way through...
Brad Parscale, surely already stinging from James Carville's criticism, has just likened his own 2020 presidential campaign to the Death Star from George Lucas's celebrated sci-fi franchise, which is not only an enterprise of the evil Empire but is also pretty comprehensively blown up by the Jedi, as any fule no.
Brad Parscale, surely already stinging from James Carville's criticism, has just likened his own 2020 presidential campaign to the Death Star from George Lucas's celebrated sci-fi franchise, which is not only an enterprise of the evil Empire but is also pretty comprehensively blown up by the Jedi, as any fule no.
Kevin McCarthy announces 'China Task Force' to investigate coronavirus origins and invites Democrats to sign up
The House minority leader has been giving his weekly press conference in DC at which he announced the spurious sounding investigative unit above (Nancy Pelosi has already refused to get involved, he admits) and said he has nominated Trump loyalist congressmen Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise to House whip Jim Clyburn's committee overseeing the federal response to Covid-19.
"Starbucks is open, the House is not," he complained over the ongoing state of shutdown, seemingly failing to take into consideration the rising death toll, limited availability of testing kits and logistical nightmare of reopening Congress safely.
On Doc Fauci not being allowed to testify to the lower chamber of Congress, McCarthy declares: "I wouldn't want to bring [General Dwight D] Eisenhower back before D-Day."
The House minority leader has been giving his weekly press conference in DC at which he announced the spurious sounding investigative unit above (Nancy Pelosi has already refused to get involved, he admits) and said he has nominated Trump loyalist congressmen Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise to House whip Jim Clyburn's committee overseeing the federal response to Covid-19.
"Starbucks is open, the House is not," he complained over the ongoing state of shutdown, seemingly failing to take into consideration the rising death toll, limited availability of testing kits and logistical nightmare of reopening Congress safely.
On Doc Fauci not being allowed to testify to the lower chamber of Congress, McCarthy declares: "I wouldn't want to bring [General Dwight D] Eisenhower back before D-Day."
Trump and Pence test negative for Covid-19 after valet taken ill
The White House says neither the president nor his deputy have coronavirus despite a member of staff close to Mr T testing positive.
"We were recently notified by the White House medical unit that a member of the United States military, who works on the White House campus, has tested positive for coronavirus," deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement. "The president and the vice president have since tested negative for the virus and they remain in great health."
Chris Riotta has the latest.
The White House says neither the president nor his deputy have coronavirus despite a member of staff close to Mr T testing positive.
"We were recently notified by the White House medical unit that a member of the United States military, who works on the White House campus, has tested positive for coronavirus," deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement. "The president and the vice president have since tested negative for the virus and they remain in great health."
Chris Riotta has the latest.
