Donald Trump spent his weekend at Bedminster, New Jersey resort, in the company of scandal-hit ex-NFL quarterback Brett Favre before toasting wealthy prospective donors at an evening fundraiser for his re-election campaign on Saturday, then taking to Twitter to brag about his exploits on Sunday.
While the president was enjoying himself, the year’s first tropical storm from the Atlantic – Hurricane Hanna – made landfall in southern Texas, as it downgraded to a tropical storm, and the US passed 1,000 deaths from the coronavirus for the fifth straight day.
On Sunday, White House Task Force member Admiral Brett Giroir admitted that the administration’s Covid-19 testing turnaround was still too slow and that more needed to be done as Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows put his faith in “American ingenuity” to lead the country out of the pandemic.
White House economist Larry Kudlow told CNN that he doesn't buy that the US is experiencing an economic downtown despite 11 per cent unemployment.
Asked whether the US made a mistake reopening too fast, prolonging damage to the economy, Mr Kudlow says there are housing, real estate and automotive booms. "And the jobs picture remains strong," he said.
Millions of out-of-work Americans continued filing for unemployment last week, though a federal boost to unemployment insurance benefits ended this week, and Congress has not agreed to extend the additional relief. But Mr Kudlow said Americans can expect a second $1,200 stimulus cheque in the fall as pandemic rages on.
The latest round of poll numbers show that the president is falling behind his Democratic rival Joe Biden in several key battleground states that the president won in 2016 less than 100 days ahead of the November general election.
Roughly eight in 10 Americans believe the US is headed in the wrong direction, a record high in Mr Trump's term, according to a recent survey conducted by the Associated Press and the NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research.
Meanwhile Black Lives Matter protesters in several West Coast cities continue to resist federal officers' brute force as elected officials demand that the president withdraw the agents from their cities, which have endued more than 50 days of protests against police brutality in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. Police in Portland, Oregon and Seattle declared riots after small groups set fires and compromised fencing at federal properties.
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Trump golfs with controversial ex-NFL quarterback as Rome burns
Donald Trump spent his Saturday golfing at his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, in the company of scandal-hit ex-NFL quarterback Brett Favre before toasting wealthy prospective donors at an evening fundraiser for his re-election campaign.
A legend of the game known for his 15-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers and inducted into the sport’s Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, Favre’s reputation was marred somewhat by unsolicited sexting allegations a decade ago.
But while the president was enjoying himself, the US found itself facing threats on three separate fronts - more on which shortly.
But while the president was enjoying himself, the US found itself facing threats on three separate fronts - more on which shortly.
Rather than address any of them, Trump took to Twitter to pay tribute to late TV host Regis Philbin (much more swiftly than he did when civil rights icon and congressman John Lewis passed away recently) and to post a series of inflammatory videos from the likes of aged Hollywood actor Jon Voight - now one of his most rabid supporters - and from Fox pundit Jeanine Pirro, who delivered another apocalyptic rant about “the attempted destruction of our great country” and warning her viewers: “Elect the wrong person and it’s coming to your city.”
Which rather overlooks the fact that all of the post-George Floyd unrest that so frightens her happened on Donald J Trump’s watch, not Joe Biden’s, as she intended to imply.
Hurricane Hanna makes landfall in Texas
As Trump hits the links with Favre, the year’s first tropical storm from the Atlantic – Hurricane Hanna – made landfall in southern Texas while 18 states reported new coronavirus case records and the US passed 1,000 deaths from Covid-19 for the fourth straight day.
Chris Riotta has the latest on the evacuations underway last night.
US records 1,000 coronavirus deaths for fourth straight day as 18 states report case highs in last week
Eighteen states have now reported new coronavirus case records in the past week as the US passed 1,000 deaths from Covid-19 for the fourth straight day on Saturday.
California, South Carolina, North Dakota, Kentucky and Hawaii are all on the list of surging case numbers.
Phil Thomas has the latest as Florida overtakes New York as the national epicentre.
Eighteen states have now reported new coronavirus case records in the past week as the US passed 1,000 deaths from Covid-19 for the fourth straight day on Saturday.
California, South Carolina, North Dakota, Kentucky and Hawaii are all on the list of surging case numbers.
Phil Thomas has the latest as Florida overtakes New York as the national epicentre.
Black Lives Matter protests rage in Portland, Seattle and Oakland
If that wasn’t drama enough, Black Lives Matter protests also continued to see tense standoffs between demonstrators and federal agents in cities from Portland and Seattle in Oregon to Oakland, California, with multiple arrests and injuries reported and a courthouse set on fire in the latter location.
Seattle saw its biggest Black Lives Matter protest in weeks last night, police said, with a renewed energy sparked by violent clashes between activists and federal agents in nearby Portland.
Police said officers used non-lethal weapons in attempts to disperse the thousands of marchers in the late afternoon after some protesters set fire to the construction site for a King County juvenile detention facility and courthouse.
By 10pm (5am GMT), police had "made 45 arrests in connection with today’s riot in the East Precinct," the Seattle Police wrote in a Twitter post.
It said "21 officers sustained injuries after being struck by bricks, rocks mortars/other explosives. Most officers were able to return to duty. One was treated at a hospital for a knee injury."
It wasn’t all tension though. There were some welcome notes of levity in evidence on the streets too.
Earlier the police had said they were working to secure access for the city's fire department to the blaze, which it said was started by about a dozen people who were part of a large group of demonstrators.
Trump had said on Thursday that he expanded the deployment of federal police to Seattle, enraging local officials and igniting anger among protesters.
"We saw what was happening in Portland and we wanted to make sure in our city we were standing in solidarity with other moms," said Lhorna Murray, who attended on behalf of the newly formed Wall of Moms Seattle, replicating a tactic from the Portland protests where mothers, dressed in yellow, form a human wall between protesters and law enforcement.
The tactics of federal officers in Portland have drawn the ire of local leaders and Democrats in Congress, who say those officers are using excessive force and complain of overreach by the Trump administration.
US attorney for the western district of Washington, Brian Moran, said in a statement on Friday that federal agents are stationed in Seattle to protect federal properties and the work done in those buildings.
The Trump administration has also sent federal police to Chicago, Kansas City and Albuquerque, New Mexico, over the objections of those mayors.
In California, protesters set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station and assaulted officers after a peaceful demonstration intensified, Oakland police said.
Demonstrators broke windows, spray painted graffiti, shot fireworks and pointed lasers at officers, the Oakland department said on Twitter. Several tweets called for peace and asked organizers to "help us provide safe spaces and safe places for demonstrators."
The protest began earlier on Saturday evening with groups including another "Wall of Moms", as protesters faced off with US agents deployed to that city to guard a federal courthouse.
The protest in Oakland began peacefully, but turned violent later into the night. An "unlawful assembly" was declared by police around 11.30pm (5.30am GMT) and officers asked the crowd to disperse.
The fire broke out at the Alameda County Superior Courthouse and was contained a short time later, news outlets reported. Police said protesters at one point were "breaking windows and chanting racial slurs at residents." Photos tweeted by the department showed broken glass and paint splattered at a police building.
Police said officers used non-lethal weapons in attempts to disperse the thousands of marchers in the late afternoon after some protesters set fire to the construction site for a King County juvenile detention facility and courthouse.
By 10pm (5am GMT), police had "made 45 arrests in connection with today’s riot in the East Precinct," the Seattle Police wrote in a Twitter post.
It said "21 officers sustained injuries after being struck by bricks, rocks mortars/other explosives. Most officers were able to return to duty. One was treated at a hospital for a knee injury."
It wasn’t all tension though. There were some welcome notes of levity in evidence on the streets too.
Earlier the police had said they were working to secure access for the city's fire department to the blaze, which it said was started by about a dozen people who were part of a large group of demonstrators.
Trump had said on Thursday that he expanded the deployment of federal police to Seattle, enraging local officials and igniting anger among protesters.
"We saw what was happening in Portland and we wanted to make sure in our city we were standing in solidarity with other moms," said Lhorna Murray, who attended on behalf of the newly formed Wall of Moms Seattle, replicating a tactic from the Portland protests where mothers, dressed in yellow, form a human wall between protesters and law enforcement.
The tactics of federal officers in Portland have drawn the ire of local leaders and Democrats in Congress, who say those officers are using excessive force and complain of overreach by the Trump administration.
US attorney for the western district of Washington, Brian Moran, said in a statement on Friday that federal agents are stationed in Seattle to protect federal properties and the work done in those buildings.
The Trump administration has also sent federal police to Chicago, Kansas City and Albuquerque, New Mexico, over the objections of those mayors.
In California, protesters set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station and assaulted officers after a peaceful demonstration intensified, Oakland police said.
Demonstrators broke windows, spray painted graffiti, shot fireworks and pointed lasers at officers, the Oakland department said on Twitter. Several tweets called for peace and asked organizers to "help us provide safe spaces and safe places for demonstrators."
The protest began earlier on Saturday evening with groups including another "Wall of Moms", as protesters faced off with US agents deployed to that city to guard a federal courthouse.
The protest in Oakland began peacefully, but turned violent later into the night. An "unlawful assembly" was declared by police around 11.30pm (5.30am GMT) and officers asked the crowd to disperse.
The fire broke out at the Alameda County Superior Courthouse and was contained a short time later, news outlets reported. Police said protesters at one point were "breaking windows and chanting racial slurs at residents." Photos tweeted by the department showed broken glass and paint splattered at a police building.
Meanwhile in Austin, Texas, a man was shot and killed in another demonstration, with the suspect in custody.
Additional reporting by agencies
Reagan Foundation asks Trump to stop using name for fundraising over commemorative coin racket
The estate of the 40th president issued its cease-and-desist request to the Trump campaign after being alerted to a fundraising email sent out on 19 July that said, for a donation of $45 (£35) or more, MAGA supporters would receive a “limited edition” set featuring two gold-coloured coins emblazoned with the images of Trump and Reagan.
The sender was one “Donald J Trump” and the subject line read “Ronald Reagan and Yours Truly.” The coin set also included a 1987 snapshot of Reagan and Trump shaking hands at the White House.
The text of the email read: “I just saw our new Trump-Reagan Commemorative Coin Sets and WOW, these coins are beautiful - I took one look and immediately knew that I wanted YOU to have a set. These aren’t any ordinary coins. They symbolize an important time in our Nation. This year, in addition to being re-elected as YOUR President, it also marks the 40th anniversary of our Nation’s 40th President, Ronald Reagan.”
Proceeds from this coin trick, one of the oldest rackets in the book, go to the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, which provides support to the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Trump campaign.
Reagan Foundation chief marketing officer Melissa Giller told The Hill that the foundation confronted the RNC last week after hearing about the offer.
"We own the likeness of President Reagan and they used his image for the coin without our consent. We called the RNC and asked them to cease and desist the use of Pres Reagan on the coin and they agreed," Giller said.
Here's Sam Hancock's report.
The estate of the 40th president issued its cease-and-desist request to the Trump campaign after being alerted to a fundraising email sent out on 19 July that said, for a donation of $45 (£35) or more, MAGA supporters would receive a “limited edition” set featuring two gold-coloured coins emblazoned with the images of Trump and Reagan.
The sender was one “Donald J Trump” and the subject line read “Ronald Reagan and Yours Truly.” The coin set also included a 1987 snapshot of Reagan and Trump shaking hands at the White House.
The text of the email read: “I just saw our new Trump-Reagan Commemorative Coin Sets and WOW, these coins are beautiful - I took one look and immediately knew that I wanted YOU to have a set. These aren’t any ordinary coins. They symbolize an important time in our Nation. This year, in addition to being re-elected as YOUR President, it also marks the 40th anniversary of our Nation’s 40th President, Ronald Reagan.”
Proceeds from this coin trick, one of the oldest rackets in the book, go to the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, which provides support to the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Trump campaign.
Reagan Foundation chief marketing officer Melissa Giller told The Hill that the foundation confronted the RNC last week after hearing about the offer.
"We own the likeness of President Reagan and they used his image for the coin without our consent. We called the RNC and asked them to cease and desist the use of Pres Reagan on the coin and they agreed," Giller said.
Here's Sam Hancock's report.
New Trumpworld fan art depicts dead presidents praying for The Donald
If you’re not familiar with the MAGA painter Jon McNaughton - essentially the bizarro universe Bob Ross - the internet is a minefield of his deranged Trump tribute paintings, depicting the orange one as a biker hero and scourge of the swamp.
His latest, entitled “Legacy of Hope”, features the ghosts of dead presidents and civil rights heroes sharing a prayer with Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House.
I’m not sure George Washington, John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Frederick Douglass are likely substitutes for Diamond and Silk but whatever.
And is that Andrew Breitbart on the far left? If so, it would be a first for him.
Right-wing broadcaster backs away from airing conspiracy film Plandemic attacking Anthony Fauci
Pro-Trump Sinclair Broadcasting Group appear to have gotten cold feet about their plan to show a controversial film attacking the country’s top infectious diseases expert and accusing him of conspiring to mastermind the coronavirus to thwart The Donald’s presidency.
The video has been banned from Facebook and YouTube but was set to be aired as part of America This Week, hosted by Eric Bolling, who was also set to interview medical researcher Judy Mikovits, featured in Plandemic.
“I recognize that this segment does need to be reworked to provide better context, and as such we are delaying the airing of the episode for one week,” Bolling now says in a tweeted statement.
Dr Fauci has recently revealed that he and his family have received death threats after the Trump administration and the American right-wing media ecosystem turned against his unflinching refusal to withhold bad news as the national crisis deepens.
Pro-Trump Sinclair Broadcasting Group appear to have gotten cold feet about their plan to show a controversial film attacking the country’s top infectious diseases expert and accusing him of conspiring to mastermind the coronavirus to thwart The Donald’s presidency.
The video has been banned from Facebook and YouTube but was set to be aired as part of America This Week, hosted by Eric Bolling, who was also set to interview medical researcher Judy Mikovits, featured in Plandemic.
“I recognize that this segment does need to be reworked to provide better context, and as such we are delaying the airing of the episode for one week,” Bolling now says in a tweeted statement.
Dr Fauci has recently revealed that he and his family have received death threats after the Trump administration and the American right-wing media ecosystem turned against his unflinching refusal to withhold bad news as the national crisis deepens.
Ted Cruz says Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts has ‘abandoned his oath’ over Nevada church decision
The outspoken Texas GOP senator - a one-time Trump enemy turned apologist - has lashed out at the country’s top judge as part of his mad-eyed push for reopening, despite the alarming resurgence of the coronavirus.
Justice Roberts cast the deciding vote to side with his liberal colleagues on Friday to form the 5-4 decision in favour of blocking the Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley in Reno from easing attendance restrictions at its Sunday services.
Cruz does highlight the discrepancy between Nevada making life easier for its casinos than its churches but reaches the wrong conclusion: both should surely stay shut in a state that has 42,000 cases and some 733 deaths.
Ted Yoho resigns from board of Christian group in wake of AOC confrontation
The Florida GOP congressman who accosted New York progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the Capitol steps earlier this week and allegedly called her a “f***ing b***h” has been forced to resign from the bipartisan charity Bread for the World over his behaviour.
Kate Ng picks up the story.
Today marks 100 days to election and five months since Trump promised ‘zero’ coronavirus cases
This Democratic Coalition reminder of how far the US has come since this dismissive statement from the president on the threat posed by Covid-19 is as sobering as they come.
Minnesota couple sport swastika face masks in Walmart
Oh look, an even worse pair than the St Louis Bonnie and Clyde.
Here’s a little background.
'The lack of a traditional convention is a bigger loss to Trump than Biden'
For Indy Premium, Chris Stevenson explains why the president was so reluctant to scrap his formal coronation as the Republican Party candidate in Jacksonville, Florida.
For Indy Premium, Chris Stevenson explains why the president was so reluctant to scrap his formal coronation as the Republican Party candidate in Jacksonville, Florida.
'Trump is running against the spectre of coronavirus – and his media manipulation skills may not save him'
For Indy Voices, Patrick Cockburn argues the real threat to the president's re-election prospects in November is his own lamentable record, not the challenge represented by Joe Biden.
For Indy Voices, Patrick Cockburn argues the real threat to the president's re-election prospects in November is his own lamentable record, not the challenge represented by Joe Biden.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus says ‘pathetic’ Trump is worse president than Veep’s Selina Meyer
Here's Isobel Lewis on the comedy legend's withering assessment of the president and how poorly he stacks up against her character from the inspired Armando Iannucci political satire.
Here's Isobel Lewis on the comedy legend's withering assessment of the president and how poorly he stacks up against her character from the inspired Armando Iannucci political satire.
Trump audaciously attacks Joe Biden’s knowledge of geography and beams over golf game, ignoring trio of crises
If I were this president, I’d steer well clear of attacking Biden on these grounds. Nambia? Finland being a part of Russia? “S***hole countries”? I could go on...
He’s also been gloating over his golf game, ignoring all possible current crises…
...and disingenuously attacking Nancy Pelosi over her opposition to his China travel ban.
His latest is this, defying the national polls to insist he inspires more “ENTHUSIASM” than Biden.
Good luck with that champ. You do you.
Meidas Touch celebrates Black Lives Matter protesters’ ‘Wall Against Trump’
This latest anti-Trump attack ad celebrates the brave Wall of Moms (and dads and vets) seen at police reform demonstrations in Oregon and across the country.
This latest anti-Trump attack ad celebrates the brave Wall of Moms (and dads and vets) seen at police reform demonstrations in Oregon and across the country.
Elon Musk says he tried to convince Kanye West to stand for president in 2024
The Tesla CEO has been speaking to The New York Times about his friend the rapper’s aborted bid for the White House.
Kate Ng has this on what he had to say.
White House Task Force member concedes Covid testing failures months into crisis
Admiral Brett Giroir has been speaking to Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union this morning and admitting the turnaround for coronavirus tests is still too long.
“Are you afraid to bring this up to President Trump because it will upset him?” Tapper asked Giroir at one point.
“Everyone of the administration understands the importance of testing,” he answered. “Nobody in the task force is afraid to bring up anything to the vice president or the president. Every time I’ve met with the president, he’s been listening to all the data, he assesses that, he understands it. I meet with the vice president almost every single day. No one is trying to stop testing in this country. No one has ever told me to do that. We want more, we want better, we want quicker.”
Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows has also been out there on ABC’s This Week, defending the administration’s response to coronavirus...
…and dancing round the issue of the president refusing to accept an election loss with George Stephanopoulos.
Meadows also declines to give a straight answer on Vladimir Putin, which is little surprise.
On Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, ex-CDC director Dr Tom Friedan has this to offer on the challenge of reopening schools.
Nate Silver: ‘A turnaround in the Covid situation could make the election more competitive’
Here’s a little more from the shows, with crystal ball reader extraordinaire Nate Silver telling Stephanopoulos not to count Trump out on the 100-day mark.
Meanwhile, on CBS’s Face the Nation, FDA commissioner Scott Gottleib tells Margaret Brennan that federal coronavirus testing efforts have sped up - contradicting Admiral Giroir earlier.
