Donald Trump has pressured California to allow tech magnate Elon Musk to reopen his local Tesla manufacturing plant in defiance of the coronavirus shutdown, which has seen the blue state suffer almost 68,000 cases and 2,770 deaths.
The president returned to Twitter after storming out of his latest press conference in the White House Rose Garden on Monday afternoon having again taken exception to tough questions from two female journalists, CBS reporter Weijia Jiang and Kaitlin Collins of CNN — his latest meltdown over the crisis — as his top medical official addressing the public health emergency warns the US Senate that the nation's death toll is muich higher than previously believed.
Mr Trump also declined to answer a query from Philip Rucker of The Washington Post on the “Obamagate” conspiracy theory that the president has been promoting, refusing to articulate precisely what crime he is accusing his predecessor of committing even after claiming that the so-called scandal “makes Watergate look small time!”
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Trump storms out of coronavirus briefing after latest spat with female reporters
Donald Trump stormed out of his latest coronavirus press conference in the White House Rose Garden on Monday afternoon after again taking exception to questions from two female reporters, his latest meltdown over the crisis.
Before his spat with CBS reporter Weijia Jiang and Kaitlin Collins of CNN, the president had spent the session overstating his administration’s testing capabilities for the virus and claiming the US had “prevailed” over it, despite recording over 1.3m cases of infection and more than 81,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Trump said 300,000 tests are now being performed each day in the US, claiming “it will go up substantially from that number” but, as usual, did not provide supporting data.
He also claimed that illegal immigration at the US southern border with Mexico is down (well…) and dimissed the significance of two West Wing staff testing positive for the disease: “Things happen”.
As another correspondent noted, Covid-19 is not the only plague to have struck the White House, it seems:
John T Bennett was watching on.
Donald Trump stormed out of his latest coronavirus press conference in the White House Rose Garden on Monday afternoon after again taking exception to questions from two female reporters, his latest meltdown over the crisis.
Before his spat with CBS reporter Weijia Jiang and Kaitlin Collins of CNN, the president had spent the session overstating his administration’s testing capabilities for the virus and claiming the US had “prevailed” over it, despite recording over 1.3m cases of infection and more than 81,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Trump said 300,000 tests are now being performed each day in the US, claiming “it will go up substantially from that number” but, as usual, did not provide supporting data.
He also claimed that illegal immigration at the US southern border with Mexico is down (well…) and dimissed the significance of two West Wing staff testing positive for the disease: “Things happen”.
As another correspondent noted, Covid-19 is not the only plague to have struck the White House, it seems:
John T Bennett was watching on.
Trump's angry exchange with journalists in full
Still annoyed hours later, the president subsequently tweeted this (even though doing so meant promoting the work of Vox journalist Aaron Rupar, one of most vehement and hard-working critics on the platform):
The message backfired somewhat, however, as #TrumpMeltdown swiftly began to trend.
Here's Gino Spocchia with a full transcript of the testy exchanges in question.
Still annoyed hours later, the president subsequently tweeted this (even though doing so meant promoting the work of Vox journalist Aaron Rupar, one of most vehement and hard-working critics on the platform):
The message backfired somewhat, however, as #TrumpMeltdown swiftly began to trend.
Here's Gino Spocchia with a full transcript of the testy exchanges in question.
President won't explain 'Obamagate' despite hammering on about it on Twitter
In another awkward exchange from yesterday’s session, Trump declined to answer a question from Philip Rucker of The Washington Post on the “Obamagate” conspiracy theory he has been promoting on Twitter, refusing to articulate precisely what crime he is accusing his predecessor of even after claiming the so-called scandal “makes Watergate look small time!”
That one went like this:
Rucker: “Mr President, in one of your Mother's Day tweets you appear to accuse President Obama of 'the biggest political crime in American history by far', those were your words. What crime exactly are you accusing President Obama of committing and do you believe the Justice Department should prosecute him?”
Trump: "Obamagate. It’s been going on for a long time. It’s been going on from before I even got elected and it’s a disgrace that it’s happened and if you look at what's gone on and if you look at now and all of this information that's being released and from what I understand that's only the beginning. Some terrible things happend and they should never be allowed to happen in our country again... I wish you'd write honestly about it but, unfortunately, you choose not to do so."
Rucker: “What is the crime exactly that you're accusing him of?”
Trump: "You know what the crime is. The crime is very obvious to everybody. All you have to do is read the newspapers, except yours."
Here's Andrew Buncombe's report.
Here's Andrew Buncombe's report.
So what IS 'Obamagate'?
It's highly odd that Trump won't articulate the answer to that question in person given that he's spent the last couple of days banging on about it online (as recently as six hours ago, at the time of writing).
His obliging media minions like Tucker Carlson have of course taken up the mantle on his behalf but God help you if you're seeking an explanation there...
...and, even at Fox, there's exasperation and exhaustion at this non-scandal scandal in some quarters:
One man who might be able to shine a light is Griffin Connolly so here he is to have a crack.
It's highly odd that Trump won't articulate the answer to that question in person given that he's spent the last couple of days banging on about it online (as recently as six hours ago, at the time of writing).
His obliging media minions like Tucker Carlson have of course taken up the mantle on his behalf but God help you if you're seeking an explanation there...
...and, even at Fox, there's exasperation and exhaustion at this non-scandal scandal in some quarters:
One man who might be able to shine a light is Griffin Connolly so here he is to have a crack.
White House staff ordered to wear face masks - but Trump still won't
Mask-related tensions also bubbled away among the press corps in the Rose Garden after Fox reporter John Roberts hit back at ABC correspondent Jon Karl after he "shamed" him on Twitter about it.
Louise Hall has this report.
The president's broadly upbeat message yesterday was undercut by the new protective measures being implemented behind him to keep him safe, evidenced by the absence of vice president Mike Pence and three of the nation's top medical experts, who were in various states of isolation after two cases of Covid-19 were confirmed among staffers.
A memo to staff on Monday directed "everyone who enters the West Wing to wear a mask or facial covering." Staff will be allowed to remove their face coverings if they sit at least six feet apart from their colleagues but the directive apparently doesn't apply to the president.
The stepped-up protective measures comes as Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr Stephen Hahn, were all quarantining after exposure at the White House.
A memo to staff on Monday directed "everyone who enters the West Wing to wear a mask or facial covering." Staff will be allowed to remove their face coverings if they sit at least six feet apart from their colleagues but the directive apparently doesn't apply to the president.
The stepped-up protective measures comes as Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr Stephen Hahn, were all quarantining after exposure at the White House.
Mask-related tensions also bubbled away among the press corps in the Rose Garden after Fox reporter John Roberts hit back at ABC correspondent Jon Karl after he "shamed" him on Twitter about it.
Louise Hall has this report.
Dr Anthony Fauci to warn Senate early reopening will cause 'needless death'
The aforementioned Doc Fauci is set to testify before the Senate today and will warn against the risks of reopening the economy too soon, saying it could lead to "needless suffering and death", according to The New York Times.
"If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to 'Open America Again,' then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country," the newspaper quotes him as as saying in an email.
"This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal."
Fauci said the danger of trying to open the country prematurely would be his major message for the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions committee at the hearing today, which is taking place remotely.
The aforementioned Doc Fauci is set to testify before the Senate today and will warn against the risks of reopening the economy too soon, saying it could lead to "needless suffering and death", according to The New York Times.
"If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to 'Open America Again,' then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country," the newspaper quotes him as as saying in an email.
"This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal."
Fauci said the danger of trying to open the country prematurely would be his major message for the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions committee at the hearing today, which is taking place remotely.
Trump 2020 fundraising slows for second straight month
The pace of the president's election fundraising has slowed slightly for the second straight month as the US reels from the coronavirus outbreak.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Trump's re-election campaign announced on Monday they had raised more than $61.7m (£50.1m) in April and of course spun the news rather differently:
It brings the president's total haul for the election cycle to more than $742m (£602.3m). The figure is $288m (£233.8m) more than the Obama re-election effort had at this same point, the campaign and the RNC said in a joint statement.
The campaign raised $63m (£51.1m) in March, down from the $86m (£69.8m) raised in February.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement that the April haul shows the president's "consistent record of unprecedented action is met with overwhelming enthusiasm and support".
Despite the drop, Trump's fundraising remains far ahead of likely Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Biden's presidential campaign said on Monday that it and the Democratic National Committee jointly raised $60m (£48.7m) in April, a solid amount that may ease some Democratic worries that the candidate is stumbling in the race for cash.
Biden's campaign was almost broke before he vaulted to the top of the crowded Democratic presidential field on Super Tuesday in early March. He became the party's presumptive nominee when his sole remaining rival Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign in early April.
The campaign said in a statement that its average April donation was $32.63 (£26.49), "showing continued grassroots strength even in this time of crisis". It has recently announced a number of new hires, a sign of a newly secure financial position.
The pace of the president's election fundraising has slowed slightly for the second straight month as the US reels from the coronavirus outbreak.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Trump's re-election campaign announced on Monday they had raised more than $61.7m (£50.1m) in April and of course spun the news rather differently:
It brings the president's total haul for the election cycle to more than $742m (£602.3m). The figure is $288m (£233.8m) more than the Obama re-election effort had at this same point, the campaign and the RNC said in a joint statement.
The campaign raised $63m (£51.1m) in March, down from the $86m (£69.8m) raised in February.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement that the April haul shows the president's "consistent record of unprecedented action is met with overwhelming enthusiasm and support".
Despite the drop, Trump's fundraising remains far ahead of likely Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Biden's presidential campaign said on Monday that it and the Democratic National Committee jointly raised $60m (£48.7m) in April, a solid amount that may ease some Democratic worries that the candidate is stumbling in the race for cash.
Biden's campaign was almost broke before he vaulted to the top of the crowded Democratic presidential field on Super Tuesday in early March. He became the party's presumptive nominee when his sole remaining rival Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign in early April.
The campaign said in a statement that its average April donation was $32.63 (£26.49), "showing continued grassroots strength even in this time of crisis". It has recently announced a number of new hires, a sign of a newly secure financial position.
Mitch McConnell: Obama 'should have kept his mouth shut' on Trump's coronavirus response
The Senate majority leader has hit back at the 44th president after he was heard saying in leaked audio that the current administration's response to the Covid-19 outbreak had been an "absolute chaotic disaster".
"I think it's a little bit classless, frankly, to critique an administration that comes after you," a haughty McConnell told Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, during a campaign livestream event yesterday.
"You had your shot, you were there for eight years. I think the tradition that the Bushes set up - of not critiquing the president who comes after you - is a good tradition."
The tortoise-like Kentuckian also bemoaned the Obama camp for not leaving behind a "game plan" on how to handle a pandemic for their successors, a line of attack that was easily and embarrasingly debunked, given that they did indeed leave behind a 69-page manual on precisely that subject that went ahead:
The Senate majority leader has hit back at the 44th president after he was heard saying in leaked audio that the current administration's response to the Covid-19 outbreak had been an "absolute chaotic disaster".
"I think it's a little bit classless, frankly, to critique an administration that comes after you," a haughty McConnell told Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, during a campaign livestream event yesterday.
"You had your shot, you were there for eight years. I think the tradition that the Bushes set up - of not critiquing the president who comes after you - is a good tradition."
The tortoise-like Kentuckian also bemoaned the Obama camp for not leaving behind a "game plan" on how to handle a pandemic for their successors, a line of attack that was easily and embarrasingly debunked, given that they did indeed leave behind a 69-page manual on precisely that subject that went ahead:
White House to provide $11bn to states for coronavirus testing despite Trump's jabs
As the president continues to push nonsense like this...
...in amongst the vacuous sloganeering...
...John T Bennett has more on his testing pledges from yesterday.
Harvard experts maintain the country needs to be hitting 900,000 a day, three times the current rate.
Nancy Pelosi urges Congress to 'go big' on next coronavirus rescue package but faces GOP opposition
House speaker Nancy Pelosi is poised to unveil the next coronavirus aid package, encouraging Congress to "go big" on aid to help cash-strapped states and struggling Americans. Voting is possible as soon as Friday.
But the bill is heading straight into a Senate roadblock. Senate Republicans said on Monday they are not planning to vote on any new relief until June.
Senate Leader McConnell says there is no "urgency" to act.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi is poised to unveil the next coronavirus aid package, encouraging Congress to "go big" on aid to help cash-strapped states and struggling Americans. Voting is possible as soon as Friday.
But the bill is heading straight into a Senate roadblock. Senate Republicans said on Monday they are not planning to vote on any new relief until June.
Senate Leader McConnell says there is no "urgency" to act.
"Let's get on with it," Pelosi said Monday night on MSNBC. "To those who would suggest a pause, I would say the hunger doesn't take a pause, the rent doesn't take a pause," she said. "We have a big need. It's monumental."
The new package, the fifth since March, is expected to carry another eye-popping price tag. Trump has signed into law nearly $3trn (£2.4trn) in aid approved by Congress.
Its centrepiece is likely to be money to states and cities that are struggling to avoid layoffs in the face of skyrocketing health care costs and plummeting tax receipts during the economic shutdown. There will money for virus testing and another round of direct cash payments and unemployment benefits for Americans, Pelosi said. She has not disclosed the cost.
On a conference call with House colleagues on Monday, Pelosi reportedly urged them to "go big".
With the Capitol still partly closed, House majority leader Steny Hoyer told lawmakers on the call there would be 72-hour notice before returning to Washington for the vote, which could come on Friday.
But Senate Republicans are in no rush to spend what could be trillions more on aid.
"I don't think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately," McConnell told reporters at the Capitol.
McConnell said he has been in close contact with the White House, assessing the aid Congress has already approved in response to the virus outbreak and next steps.
The White House convened a call with Senate Republicans earlier on Monday, senators and aides said. "If we decide to go forward, we'll go forward together," McConnell said. His priority is to ensure any new package includes liability protections for health care providers and businesses that are reopening.
Senate Republicans are not expected to act on any further aid until after the Memorial Day recess, according to a senior Republican aide unauthorized to discuss the planning and granted anonymity.
The Senate is set to recess at the end of next week for a previously scheduled break, with senators scheduled to return on 1 June.
The Senate recently reopened its side of the Capitol while the House remains largely shuttered due the the health concerns.
Senators have been in session since last week, voting on Trump's nominees for judicial and executive branch positions and other issues. The Senate majority, the 53-member Senate Republican conference, is meeting for its regular luncheons most days, spread out three to a table for social distance. Democrats are convening by phone. Many senators, but not all, are wearing masks.
At least a dozen Capitol police officers and other staff have tested positive for the virus, and at least one senator, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, is in isolation at home after exposure from a staff member who tested positive. Other lawmakers have cycled in and out of quarantine.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned that if Trump and congressional Republicans "slow walk" more aid they will be repeating President Herbert Hoover's "tepid" response to the Great Depression.
"It should be big and it should be bold," Schumer said on Monday.
AP
President branded 'racist' and 'misogynist' on Twitter for face-off with Asian American reporter
How has Trump's latest beef with Weijia Jiang been received on the famously-forgiving social media platform?
Not well, you will not be surprised to learn.
Here's the Indy100 crew to roundup the memes and aggro.
Jimmy Kimmel derides Trump for Twitter addiction and shares deeply disturbing argumentative toddler meme
The late night host branded by the president a "last placer" and a "wacko" last week has been enjoyng hitting back as he broadcasts from home, mocking the commander-in-chief's weird Mother's Day tweet spree and calls for NBC anchor Chuck Todd to be fired over the editing of a clip of attorney general William Barr aired on his show.
Kimmel offered a doctored clip of his own, which - be warned - may stalk your dreams for the foreseeable future once seen.
"This really is the dumbest time to be alive," the host says and he's not wrong.
Isobel Lewis has this report.
The late night host branded by the president a "last placer" and a "wacko" last week has been enjoyng hitting back as he broadcasts from home, mocking the commander-in-chief's weird Mother's Day tweet spree and calls for NBC anchor Chuck Todd to be fired over the editing of a clip of attorney general William Barr aired on his show.
Kimmel offered a doctored clip of his own, which - be warned - may stalk your dreams for the foreseeable future once seen.
"This really is the dumbest time to be alive," the host says and he's not wrong.
Isobel Lewis has this report.
'Coronavirus is ravaging the White House and it's too late for anyone to learn from it'
For Indy Voices, here's Hannah Selinger on the absurd and eminently-avoidable problem of the Covid-19 outbreak reaching 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, supposedly one of the most secure facilities in the world.
Trump airs grievances over pundits 'telling me how to run for office'
We lost the great comedy actor Jerry Stiller yesterday, whose portrayal of Frank Costanza on Seinfeld belongs to the ages.
The character's finest hour surely comes in "The Strike" in which he is revealed to be the inventor of Festivus, a secular alternative Christmas celebration that replaces the traditional tree with a bare aluminium pole and introduces such innovations as the Yuletide test of strength and the notorious "airing of the grievances" over the family dinner table.
Donald J Trump, another disgruntled senior from Queens, is at least keeping that last flame burning.
Phew. That was a long walk but just about worth it, I'd say.
We lost the great comedy actor Jerry Stiller yesterday, whose portrayal of Frank Costanza on Seinfeld belongs to the ages.
The character's finest hour surely comes in "The Strike" in which he is revealed to be the inventor of Festivus, a secular alternative Christmas celebration that replaces the traditional tree with a bare aluminium pole and introduces such innovations as the Yuletide test of strength and the notorious "airing of the grievances" over the family dinner table.
Donald J Trump, another disgruntled senior from Queens, is at least keeping that last flame burning.
Phew. That was a long walk but just about worth it, I'd say.
Joe Biden lays into 'incompetent' Trump on Good Morning America and again denies Tara Reade allegation
The Democratic challenger-in-waiting was interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on the ABC breakfast show today and asked how he would handle the pandemic response differently.
"I'll tell the governors to listen to Dr Fauci. Listen to the scientists... This is not politics, this is life," he answered.
On the historic sexual assault allegation raised against him, Biden commented: “I think women should be believed…[But] at the end of the day, the truth is the truth... This never happened.”
He also hit out at the dropping of criminal charges against disgraced general Michael Flynn, telling the host: "It's not a surprise that, in fact, the Justice Department decided anybody who was an ally of the president didn't do anything wrong ever anyway."
Here's the interview in full:
Meanwhile, Gino Spocchia has news of a novel and ambitious suggestion from a party strategist on how to boost Biden's visibility.
The Democratic challenger-in-waiting was interviewed by George Stephanopoulos on the ABC breakfast show today and asked how he would handle the pandemic response differently.
"I'll tell the governors to listen to Dr Fauci. Listen to the scientists... This is not politics, this is life," he answered.
On the historic sexual assault allegation raised against him, Biden commented: “I think women should be believed…[But] at the end of the day, the truth is the truth... This never happened.”
He also hit out at the dropping of criminal charges against disgraced general Michael Flynn, telling the host: "It's not a surprise that, in fact, the Justice Department decided anybody who was an ally of the president didn't do anything wrong ever anyway."
Here's the interview in full:
Meanwhile, Gino Spocchia has news of a novel and ambitious suggestion from a party strategist on how to boost Biden's visibility.
Supreme Court to hear arguments for release of Trump's tax returns
Andrew Naughtie has this introduction to today's virtual hearing - beginning imminently - as the question of presidential immunity is considered by the highest court in the land and the saga of those long-concealed financial records finally reaches its climax.
Andrew Naughtie has this introduction to today's virtual hearing - beginning imminently - as the question of presidential immunity is considered by the highest court in the land and the saga of those long-concealed financial records finally reaches its climax.
President pressures California to allow Elon Musk to reopen Tesla plant
Here's Trump hounding the blue state to allow the eccentric tech magnate and new dad to reopen his local manufacturing plant in defiance of the coronavirus shutdown, which has seen the region suffer almost 68,000 cases and 2,770 deaths.
He's also been working hard to try and get that rubbish "Transition to greatness" slogan to stick.
Here's Trump hounding the blue state to allow the eccentric tech magnate and new dad to reopen his local manufacturing plant in defiance of the coronavirus shutdown, which has seen the region suffer almost 68,000 cases and 2,770 deaths.
He's also been working hard to try and get that rubbish "Transition to greatness" slogan to stick.
'If Obama was president, this would not have happened,' says Republican political strategist
While you might expect Joe Biden to denounce Trump's incompetence, it's a little more shocking when the same critique is made by a member of his own side, fiercely tribal as it is.
Step forward Steve Schmidt, who has worked on campaigns for George W Bush, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger and told MSNBC's Ari Melber last night that, had Barack Obama still been in charge, he would have surrounded himself with "competent, professional people” and there would be no trace of the “ineptitude” we've seen from the federal government with Trump at the helm.
While you might expect Joe Biden to denounce Trump's incompetence, it's a little more shocking when the same critique is made by a member of his own side, fiercely tribal as it is.
Step forward Steve Schmidt, who has worked on campaigns for George W Bush, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger and told MSNBC's Ari Melber last night that, had Barack Obama still been in charge, he would have surrounded himself with "competent, professional people” and there would be no trace of the “ineptitude” we've seen from the federal government with Trump at the helm.
Dr Fauci tells Senate eight Covid-19 vaccines being worked on
Here's the man of the hour giving his opening address to Congress from home just now:
You can follow dedicated coverage of his Zoom testimony here but Griffin Connolly has the latest line below.
Here's the man of the hour giving his opening address to Congress from home just now:
You can follow dedicated coverage of his Zoom testimony here but Griffin Connolly has the latest line below.
