People will listen to this crap. They won’t be cautious enough. They could make themselves and some of the rest of us sick.
Month: April 2020
Republicans treat elected Democrats like unelected officials
The Trump cult is quick to bash officials or judges they don’t agree with as “unelected”. Let’s look aat how they treat elected officials if they are Democrats:
1) Many of them treated President Obama as unelected because of the fake birther conspiracy theory endorsed by Trump
2) In North Carolina, Michigan, and Wisconsin, voters elected Democratic governors and Republican-majority legislatures. The legislatures then tried to reduce the power of the governors.
3) The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was passed by elected legislators in the House and Senate and signed by an elected president. Yet, Republicans never accepted that. They tried and failed to overturn it in Congress. Now, they’re trying in the courts.
Governors, not Trump, will decide when the economy reopens
Trump didn’t close the economy. The decisions were made by the states. The governors will be the ones to make the reopening decisions, too. Trump is wrong in his tweets.
What's notable is that @realDonaldTrump keeps threatening to invoke expansive presidential power–even power that he does not have–while hesitating to deploy it where it is most urgent, namely, to produce medical equipment, testing and ventilators. https://t.co/U4Rd2jITjA
— Julian Zelizer (@julianzelizer) April 13, 2020
Chyron on CNN earlier this hour: "TRUMP WANTS TO REOPEN ECONOMY, BUT GOVERNORS WILL DECIDE" https://t.co/qpmg3koEag
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 13, 2020
The President could certainly decide to announce a “reopening,” & the power and reach of the bully pulpit mean that this could have huge consequences. But as @steve_vladeck points out, the President has no *actual* legal authority to override existing state/local directives https://t.co/dDcegM77u2
— Kate Shaw (@kateashaw1) April 13, 2020
From @PeteWilliamsNBC: “For the purpose of eliminating confusion, here are the facts. The authority to require businesses to close in a public health crisis is what is known as a ‘police power,’ and it is reserved by the Constitution to the states, not to the federal government.” https://t.co/Z5jryxgRnY
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) April 13, 2020
His aides have openly explained the “its up to the states” approach he’s taken throughout this as consistent w GOP. There are also some in WH who don’t fully understand the federal government can’t literally “open”the country. https://t.co/vb9janVCc2
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) April 13, 2020
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responds to President Trump's claim that it is his decision to reopen the states: "If the federal government now wants to do a 180 and say we'll take responsibility, just tell me how" https://t.co/qyMmSjHHdb pic.twitter.com/Oaal7KEc0f
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 13, 2020
“Numerous provisions – we will give you a legal briefing if you want,” Trump says, dodging question about what gives him the “ultimate authority” to require states to reopen the economy, as he’s said. “The president of the United States calls the shots,” ignoring the Constitution
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 13, 2020
“Numerous provisions – we will give you a legal briefing if you want,” Trump says, dodging question about what gives him the “ultimate authority” to require states to reopen the economy, as he’s said. “The president of the United States calls the shots,” ignoring the Constitution
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 13, 2020
Trump on state (or local?) officials: "They can't do anything without the approval of the president of the United States."
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 13, 2020
Extreeemely false.
Will Trump fire Fauci?
I think he will. Fauci tells the truth.
WH says “media chatter” about Trump firing Fauci is “ridiculous.” Reality check: Trump fueled that “chatter” when he retweeted somebody saying “fire Fauci.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) April 13, 2020
Remember when the media retweeted someone calling for Fauci to be fired? https://t.co/8a9eb7UY2J
— Philip Bump (@pbump) April 13, 2020
Trump has been "fretting about Fauci for a while," source says [via @Acosta] https://t.co/wa0jWP4mUL
— Ram Ramgopal (@RamCNN) April 13, 2020
Firing Dr. Fauci would be like firing Capt. Sullenberger over midtown Manhattan. There is no flower more delicate in all the world than the male ego and the most delicate flower of all belongs to Trump. Many Americans will suffer and die because he can’t listen to experts.
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) April 13, 2020
Trump Lashes Out at Fauci Amid Criticism of Slow Virus Response https://t.co/BVRHRvuDm1
— Anushay Hossain (@AnushayHossain) April 13, 2020
Trump Spends Easter Asking Confidants, ‘What Do You Think of Fauci?’ https://t.co/Fi0GlJHj2G
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) April 13, 2020
My suspicion is that Trump will fire Fauci when he thinks the epidemic is receding and believes he has no more need for him. Then he will proceed to badmouth and scapegoat him. The foundation has already been laid for this.
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 12, 2020
Tonight Trump has retweeted a post calling for Dr. Fauci to be fired and denied NYT reporting that his Health and Human Services Secretary “directly warned” him of the possibility of a pandemic in late January.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 13, 2020
Also, I will say this: Trump can fire Fauci and the GOP in the House and Senate won't do a damn thing.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 13, 2020
Do I detect a “You’re Fired” look forming on Trump’s face? https://t.co/zXvMSNJ5CC
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) April 13, 2020
He could slit Fauci's throat on live TV and his defenders would shrug it off. https://t.co/4zgMjy6yCj
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 13, 2020
Trump rejects Post Office bailout
The already-ailing United States Postal Service is being financially crippled by the coronavirus pandemic, its top official says, but the Trump administration has shown no signs it will ask for emergency financial aid as it has for big businesses. https://t.co/9VYgw5CuaF
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 13, 2020
White House rejects bailout for U.S. Postal Service battered by coronavirus https://t.co/3OYrP3a36Q
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 11, 2020
The Post Office survived 245 years, a revolution, an empire striking back, a civil war, a world war, a depression, a 2nd world war, a cold war and all the rest. If it dies now, it'll be one more piece of America destroyed by Trump — likely because he's afraid of mail-in voting.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 13, 2020
Just to see how far we’ve fallen: the Post Office Act of 1792 didn’t establish a profit-driven business—it promised government support for the circulation of information (esp. newspapers) and respect for the personal privacy of anyone sending or receiving letters. https://t.co/oUvmz71SdC
— Joyce E. Chaplin (@JoyceChaplin1) April 11, 2020
“The postal service is not a federal agency. It does not cost taxpayers a dollar. It loses money only because Congress mandates that it do so. What it is is a miracle of high technology and human touch. It's what binds us together as a country.”https://t.co/gj9UQnSukk
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) April 11, 2020
Every story about travails of USPS needs to include this fact:
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) April 11, 2020
That it was *intentionally* lumbered w different-from-all-other-orgs oblig to pre-pay all future pensions. No “normal” company would be profitable this way https://t.co/4Xwnk3Uupx
Need to keep pointing this out https://t.co/HVVOqrCWmM
Your regular reminder that the Postal Service was running a profit and would be running a profit if the Bush admin and Congress hadn’t required it, in 2006, to permanently fund its retirement 50 years in advance, a requirement no other business has ever met.
— Jason Stanley (@jasonintrator) April 11, 2020
Try putting a 55cent stamp on your Fed Ex letter, see where it gets you. The Postal Service is not designed make Billions. It’s a “service” – a public service. Public libraries could also just sell books and make lots of money. The ourpose is not to make tax revenue. https://t.co/22oeBgjrbk
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) April 12, 2020
A story I'v long wanted to write is that the particular hatred for the @USPS, one of our great American institutions & services, an institution mandated by the Constitution, is because its workforce is disproportionately black. I regret not getting it done https://t.co/LW3DYoqv4F
— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) April 12, 2020
The problem is thinking that the "USPS" lost money. The President's appointees run the USPS. Congress (& the President) set the law that governs how USPS spends its money. They, on our behalf, created a postal service that isn't revenue neutral AND THAT's OK. https://t.co/zON1bZ2KRr
— GovTrack.🇺🇸 (@govtrack) April 12, 2020
Okay, I've been with USPS for several years now, so here's my big dumb #SaveThePostOffice thread. I don't know how many tweets it's gonna take for me to ramble through my thoughts, so stick with me. Or don't, whatever.
— Dingus J McGee, ESQ*, OBE* (@DingusJMcGee) April 10, 2020
Yes. Fix this unfair and bizarre requirement. https://t.co/0S2ynTayp8
— Annette Gordon-Reed (@agordonreed) April 13, 2020
Court rejects Trump effort to move lawsuit to arbitration
Maybe this is the time Trump’s sleazy behavior catches up with him. What a scum bag family!
A federal judge in Manhattan rejected an effort by Trump and his adult children to send a lawsuit accusing them of exploiting their family name to promote a marketing scam into arbitration. https://t.co/rhpCskCT8E
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 10, 2020
News: MGM Ordered to Deliver Unaired 'Apprentice' Footage in Marketing Scam Lawsuit Against Trumps https://t.co/3H58upygGN
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) April 9, 2020
Effort
Updated Coronavirus stats
US daily numbers via @COVID19Tracking:
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) April 15, 2020
Newly-reported deaths
Today: 2,492
Yesterday: 2,299
One week ago (4/8): 1,901
Newly-reported cases:
T: 30K
Y: 26K
4/8: 30K
Newly-reported tests:
T: 161K
Y: 147K
4/8: 140K
Share of tests positive:
T: 19%
Y: 18%
4/8: 22%
Reported US coronavirus deaths via @CNN:
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) April 13, 2020
4 weeks ago: 65 deaths
3 weeks ago: 413 deaths
2 weeks ago: 2,425 deaths
1 week ago: 9,643 deaths
Right now: 22,073 deaths
More than 2,000 coronavirus deaths have been reported today in the United States for the first time, according to Johns Hopkins University.
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) April 11, 2020
Reported US coronavirus deaths via @CNN:
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) April 11, 2020
4 weeks ago: 49 deaths
3 weeks ago: 249 deaths
2 weeks ago: 1,588 deaths
1 week ago: 7,152 deaths
Right now: 18,693 deaths
The real number of deaths is higher—but no one knows by how much. https://t.co/uvCN9NSkqx
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 11, 2020
Florida’s count of coronavirus deaths is missing some cases. The state isn't counting snowbirds who die here if they’re residents of another state.https://t.co/zsyRmYKOHH
— Tampa Bay Times (@TB_Times) April 12, 2020
More coronavirus polls
47% of Republicans say it is acceptable for officials to criticize the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response, while 52% find this unacceptable. https://t.co/esCp4hdmd0 pic.twitter.com/i7jBLDzYh4
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) April 16, 2020
A majority of conservative Republicans, 56%, say "it is not acceptable for elected officials to criticize the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak," via new Pew Research poll out today.
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) April 16, 2020
You mean trying to bullshit your way through a pandemic as over half a million people (that we know of) get sick and over 23k confirmed deaths and counting rack up—while at the same time 17 million people lose work in less than a month—*doesnt* win you supporters? Weird. https://t.co/XU0VqtR6oJ
— Daniel Gilmore (@gilmored85) April 13, 2020
In one month, Americans' views of the coronavirus have undergone a seismic shift. https://t.co/gExytX5GW3
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 13, 2020
Pew Poll: Despite what disease experts say, nearly 30% of Americans believe the novel #coronavirus was prbly created in a lab. 23% of adults said it was created intentionally. 43% said it evolved naturally. (CNN) https://t.co/nax8ezmnqH
— Steven Ashley (@steveashleyplus) April 13, 2020
If President Trump looks at the polling data, he may want to err of the side of keeping folks at home | Analysis by Harry Entenhttps://www.cnn.com/2020/04/11/politics/trump-economy-coronavirus-analysis/index.html
— CNN (@CNN) April 11, 2020
From the new CBS/YouGov poll: pic.twitter.com/XncLTEdDtp
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 10, 2020
Trump's approval on coronavirus continues to fall in new ABC/Ipsos poll.
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) April 10, 2020
Now: 44-55
Last week: 47-52
That magical lying and chaos pixie dust appears to have gone damp.https://t.co/cDfoBraIeq
Even as Trump boasts of big ratings for his daily briefings, approval of his handling of coronavirus has flipped negative since March. pic.twitter.com/h0MiX04DJQ
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) April 10, 2020
Wow. Good numbers for Trump. He’s still fooling one-third of the public. https://t.co/MNyY1pvxUj
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) April 12, 2020
White House attacks the Voice of America
Politico's @SchreckReports goes deep on Trump v. VOA https://t.co/QgMpwKcVXu
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 22, 2020
If this coup succeeds, VOA will no longer differ substantially from other state-run broadcasters — and it very likely will earn that “propaganda” label, the Editorial Board writes https://t.co/uQJHUDLrhl
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) April 11, 2020
White House attacks Voice of America, claiming it promoted Chinese propaganda https://t.co/loQKwgnVfS
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 11, 2020
New: Official White House website launches extraordinary attack on @VOANews, government-funded but independent agency that has delivered news to people abroad for 75-plus years. https://t.co/jl13Zy58fg More… pic.twitter.com/trhmd8HU20
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) April 10, 2020
The right-wing backlash against science
icymi
— OpinionToday.com (@OpinionToday) April 14, 2020
Not-that-bad or not-that-high: How advocates of a return to normal misrepresent coronavirus deaths (@pbump) Details: https://t.co/mPNPk9H14Q pic.twitter.com/eCr5we7L76
And just in time, from @DamonLinker. This is exactly what I feared. | The coming backlash against the public health experts https://t.co/6TDeFngupB
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 8, 2020
A notable shift downward in projected deaths from coronavirus is already being spun as "experts were wrong!!" instead of "hey, the thing experts said would drive down deaths might be driving down deaths."https://t.co/HpUPAyc5tx pic.twitter.com/XLPD39dQfF
— Philip Bump (@pbump) April 9, 2020
CNN’s Acosta Asks Birx, Fauci About Commentators Suggesting Death Toll Inflated: ‘There’s a Lot of Misinformation’ Out There https://t.co/yeBJZbwpuU
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) April 8, 2020
After #COVIDー19 crisis passes, could we have a good faith discussion about the uses and abuses of "modeling" to predict the future? Everything from public health, to economic to climate predictions. It isn't the scientific method, folks. https://t.co/OYBm3CIUxX
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) April 10, 2020
Every one of these people who downplayed coronavirus from the start know exactly what they're doing.
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) April 11, 2020
They know that the insane efforts to contain coronavirus are the reason we might be lucky enough to "only" have 60,000 deaths, but they hope you're too stupid to realize it. https://t.co/ROLIR6cqh5
A dangerous fight over data infiltrates Trumpworld's response to coronavirus w/ @myahward https://t.co/nDBqzv6sUE via @politico
— David Siders (@davidsiders) April 10, 2020
GOP lawmakers say Fauci may be doing more harm than good amid coronavirus response https://t.co/YNyRfcPtCh pic.twitter.com/8WR3iHETO2
— The Hill (@thehill) April 11, 2020
Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Tucker Carlson, Brit Hume, et al, claim that, as @brithume said, the “fatality numbers are inflated.” In fact the official death toll is a vast underestimate because so many people are dying without being diagnosed with covid-19.https://t.co/6GLFPOqF9w
— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) April 12, 2020
As the coronavirus swept the globe, it was accompanied by a surge of false information. Analysts say that President Vladimir Putin of Russia has played a central role in the spread of disinformation as part of a wider effort to discredit the West. https://t.co/0WcjPOACsw
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 13, 2020
Sad! 