This headline about the phone call between #Trump and some Catholic Bishops (“Bishops' call with Trump raises ethical, legal issues”) is restrained. The piece itself by @MichaelSWinters is properly tough on the dangerous signal these bishops sent. https://t.co/2vvXPYhHcs
— EJ Dionne (@EJDionne) May 5, 2020
The Trump administration has mishandled PPE updated 5/8/20
They steal orders made by states. They use it for political purposes. They are totally incompetent.
Why has Michigan received far less from the national PPE stockpile than the state needs to combat the coronavirus, but Florida's gotten everything it requested? https://t.co/OQEsNWrzex
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) May 2, 2020
A 34-year old with a two-year old company got a multimillion dollar no-bid contract to provide masks — which he fumbled.
— DNC War Room (@DNCWarRoom) May 3, 2020
This is how Trump’s handling supply shortages for frontline workers. https://t.co/VyJyDgdEdz
1) The VA signed a $34.5 million deal for N95 masks with a company that advertised “block chain” solutions and had only existed for 2 years.
— J. David McSwane (@davidmcswane) May 6, 2020
I called the company to see why
Ended up on a private jet, following one of the most bizarre stories of my career …
During White House event, a New Orleans nurse says, “PPE has been sporadic, but it's been manageable."
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 6, 2020
President Trump replies: "Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people … That was fine, but I have heard we have a tremendous supply to almost all places." pic.twitter.com/giltAwPM8V
White House’s pandemic relief effort Project Airbridge is swathed in secrecy and exaggerations https://t.co/R97dSt2hpQ
— Robert Costa (@costareports) May 8, 2020
That, Trump’s #70daydeadlydelay . and his theft of PPE. #TrumpStealsPPE https://t.co/7YUyImacwC
— Jennifer Cohn ✍🏻 (@jennycohn1) May 2, 2020
NPR found that as the coronavirus took hold in the U.S., many federal agencies were aware a PPE shortage was looming. But efforts to boost supplies didn't begin until weeks after the first warnings were sounded. https://t.co/6eCCo23xp5
— NPR (@NPR) May 2, 2020
A contractor with zero experience got a $34.5 million contract to supply the VA with masks and other medical supplies. He flew around the country on a private jet trying to track everything down. He ultimately did not deliver a single mask to the VA. https://t.co/FAOU3W0IjT
— ProPublica (@propublica) May 2, 2020
Thread on how Trump administration made a shambles of medical supply https://t.co/LwTjiUICMj
— David Frum (@davidfrum) May 2, 2020
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says that coronavirus tests that arrived from South Korea are being guarded by members of the Maryland National Guard and state police following reports that the federal government had effectively confiscated shipments of PPE. pic.twitter.com/qxLMDtsamz
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 30, 2020
$96 million for respirators went to a company with no background in medical supplies.
— Randi Rhodes (@RandiRhodes) April 29, 2020
A $55M contract for N95 masks, went to a tactical training firm that has filed for bankruptcy
My Pillow – $75,000 VA contract for masks. They haven't started work.https://t.co/FsaYb27iN0
BuzzFeed News: After one tweet to President Trump, this man got $69 million from New York for ventilators.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 29, 2020
The Silicon Valley engineer, who had no background in medical supplies but was recommended by the White House, never delivered the ventilators.https://t.co/AQAiQQBxDU
Trump administration hijacked 5 million masks from veterans hospitals, chief physician says. VA officials had denied staff complaints about PPE shortages. Now, nearly 2,000 health workers are infected. https://t.co/vObFzS9I8R
— KD (@Fly_Sistah) April 28, 2020
Why did the federal government seize personal protective equipment that was heading to hospitals in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Virginia?https://t.co/uNg4KKLZSq
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 28, 2020
Project Air Bridge is Jared Kushner’s secretive public-private partnership for COVID-19 supplies – but it’s failing. States can’t get equipment & nobody's explaining how the project works. @SenBlumenthal & I want answers from the participating suppliers. https://t.co/qkfX3MPIa6
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) April 27, 2020
“States smuggle COVID-19 medical supplies to avoid federal seizures as House probes Jared Kushner” – 4/21/20 https://t.co/6uARyyLAzx
— Jennifer Cohn ✍🏻 (@jennycohn1) April 27, 2020
He is forcing immigrants to work without proper protection, yet Trump refused to use the Defense Production Act to secure PPE. Instead, Trump has been confiscating PPE from Veterans & states after telling governors to buy their own PPE. https://t.co/9b67XszPGo
— KD (@Fly_Sistah) April 28, 2020
Trump told states to secure their own PPE supplies, but then the federal government reportedly started seizing states’ supplies. The public needs to know if life saving PPE shipments to hospitals are being delayed because of Trump’s mixed messages.https://t.co/uNg4KKLZSq
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 26, 2020
I just learned that Pennsylvania has been told not to expect any more masks, gloves & gowns from the national stockpile.
— Conor Lamb (@ConorLambPA) April 24, 2020
We have the FIFTH highest number of deaths & cases in the country, and our national government will not help.
We are on our own.
I have been recording this for 3 weeks in the list: Jared and his task force are confiscating PPE all over the country. There is no accounting for where it is going. Our federal government is like a crime family. https://t.co/MSai9FW7Xw
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) April 25, 2020
Medical supplier says FEMA seized 400,000 N95 masks destined for medical workers during the coronavirus pandemic, and has them ‘just sitting on a loading dock at JFK’ https://t.co/E22kpZJt5k
— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) April 25, 2020
Trump is using ventilators to try & promote a GOP Senator facing a close race in November. Using medical resources in a crisis as a political strategy is unethical & unacceptable. https://t.co/cKbzdHSANs
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) April 25, 2020
This whole thing is so so bizarre https://t.co/NP7tYafgUS
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) April 25, 2020
"Trump and his top aides have played favorites in awarding contracts and allocating scarce resources…There's growing evidence Trump & aides are using his authority over contracting and allocation for political gain."
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) April 24, 2020
Great report by @jonallendc
and NBC:https://t.co/RK6AkAbiV6
It's Trump. Sounds like the mob hijacking trucks during prohibition: San Francisco mayor says city's PPE orders have been diverted, confiscated: It 'blows my mind' | https://t.co/33nFNmTzi7
— BeachPretzel (@BeachPretzel2) April 25, 2020
A shipment of 1 million face masks en route to South Florida for firefighters was confiscated last week by the federal government, Miami-Dade’s top emergency management official said.https://t.co/PrW8aR9YwA
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) April 23, 2020
WHAT??!! https://t.co/y2jd4V4gWp
— Paul Farhi (@farhip) April 19, 2020
This is criminal. Americans have died because of this. We need a congressional hearing (via Zoom) and accountability. https://t.co/2cK92JzQR8
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) April 23, 2020
A secretive Kushner-led project that enlists companies to bring medical equipment to the US has provided 10s of millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to the largest medical-supply companies with little public accounting or check on price gouging.https://t.co/AzGYFmWI7I
— Jackie Calmes (@jackiekcalmes) April 17, 2020
I'm worried that the president is attempting to use his power during this crisis to reward his friends and hurt his enemies. https://t.co/nP37NbJER0
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 16, 2020
The Trump administration paid a bankrupt company with zero employees $55 million for N95 masks, which it's never manufactured https://t.co/1MyMSZdjek
— Erin Biba (@erinbiba) April 16, 2020
White Nationalism at the Illinois reopening rally
Terrible anti-Semitism. These rallies have brought out all kinds of ugliness and Trump supports them instead of the CDC recommendations.
If you aren’t fluent in German or history, this means “work sets you free” & appears above the entrance to Auschwitz & other Nazi concentration camps. The photo is from an event in Chicago yesterday supposedly on reopening Illinois. It has no place in this debate or any other. pic.twitter.com/ST0WJTzdAB
— Robert Gibbs (@Robt_Gibbs) May 2, 2020
Let’s just stop calling them reopen protests and start calling them what they are: White nationalist rallies https://t.co/pWDMwVLKP8
— Mairav Zonszein מרב זונשיין (@MairavZ) May 2, 2020
This was one of the signs at the “Re-open Illinois” event today. She assured those that she was not a Nazi, and stated, “I have Jewish friends.” Thank you for representing yourself and your “movement” for what it is. pic.twitter.com/CcIX2SVu6s
— Dennis Kosuth, RN (@Dennis_Kosuth) May 1, 2020
Illinois Nazis. I hate Illinois Nazis. https://t.co/eqXWSVC4C9
— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) May 2, 2020
Michael Flynn admitted he was guilty
Trump may pardon him anyway. He belongs in jail.
Those who claim Flynn was "set up" need to answer this question: how did anything the FBI may or may not have done cause the national security advisor of the US to lie to FBI agents and lie to DOJ about his work for Turkey? #MichaelFlynn @PostOpinions https://t.co/WLiYqce8Rs
— Randall Eliason (@RDEliason) May 2, 2020
The FBI Didn’t Frame Michael Flynn. That’s Just Trump’s Excuse for a Prospective Pardon. https://t.co/Fo3qypPgXe
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) May 2, 2020
Kellyanne Conway lies through her teeth on Fox News, claims newly released Michael Flynn documents show Flynn was "set up." This is not true. All they show is that top FBI officials knew Flynn had likely broken the law even before they interviewed him https://t.co/cnyt788opE pic.twitter.com/LSzJaTaoVl
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 1, 2020
Here are the most important facts about the case of former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, based on court filings, testimony from some of the key players, the 448-page Mueller report and analysis from respected legal experts. https://t.co/iEPMYlCMmp
— CNN (@CNN) May 1, 2020
Is Flynn victim of a political attack launched through an unconstitutional 18th century law? Or did he enter into a plea deal against the backdrop of much wider criminal behavior? The evidence still suggests the latter scenario is closer to the truth. https://t.co/d0b8aDyDh4
— David French (@DavidAFrench) May 1, 2020
“Flynn’s lawyer says new documents show that Flynn was 'set up' by the FBI. In fact, they show no such thing. But they may provide a flimsy excuse for a pardon,” writes @BarbMcQuade. https://t.co/MSoe7rMlEW
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 30, 2020
Pres says he may not have to pardon Gen Flynn because he'll be exonerated of charges against him due to FBI misconduct reflected in unsealed documents, which Pres calls "just disgraceful." And says he "would certainly consider" bringing Flynn back into the Administration.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) April 30, 2020
“I would certainly consider it,” Trump says of bringing Michael Flynn back to his administration
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 30, 2020
As was suggested by @AshaRangappa_ earlier, this is NOT a complicated one folks. https://t.co/5lP57Me9jg
— Greg Brower (@GregoryABrower) April 30, 2020
Very good thread https://t.co/nudVDeAVPj
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) April 30, 2020
Flynn was compromised, because Russia knew he had lied and therefore had leverage over him. As the NSA, he was in a position to make decisions against the interests of the U.S. Sally Yates recommended the WH remove him. The FBI’s goal is to neutralize threats against the U.S. https://t.co/IgxpC3Hfm3
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) April 30, 2020
Did a big parse of Flynn docs:
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) April 30, 2020
1. They had a good idea he'd lie, cuz he already had
2. Getting someone to lie isn't a "perjury trap" if you had legit evidence (which they did)
3. On talk about getting him fired: Remember they worried he was compromisedhttps://t.co/dl0B8YnUH8
No one made Flynn lie. https://t.co/dShWatGCbm
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) April 30, 2020
Breaking news, Maria: He plead guiltyhttps://t.co/7tlOODuzeO https://t.co/MlGzl46eA2 pic.twitter.com/K9kfXdzXQ3
— Bad Fox Graphics (@BadFoxGraphics) April 26, 2020
Unusual masks
You can buy them here.
Mexican Lucha Libra wrestling masks! Another article is here.
The mask controversy (updated 5/11/20)
Everyone should wear a mask when they go out. If you don’t, you could be spreading the disease to others.
In middle of pandemic, it's not just Trump who doesn't wear a mask. Most WH officials don't wear them around WH grounds either. w/ @Kevinliptakcnn and @betsy_klein https://t.co/4eYStGFV9e
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 7, 2020
Coverage of mask-wearing is being covered like the new "culture war" — just another blue vs. red divide. But something is different here as 2/3 of the country is wearing masks regularly. The divide is really within the GOP as roughly half of Republicans are and half aren't. pic.twitter.com/CcvOm11wFx
— Nick Gourevitch (@nickgourevitch) May 9, 2020
▪︎ Some think it infringes on their civil liberties
— CNN (@CNN) May 10, 2020
▪︎ Some think it could make them look weak
▪︎ Some find the guidance confusing
▪︎ Some find it uncomfortable https://t.co/YQnrj7H5CN
Trump says he didn't wear a mask at Honeywell factory because the company said he didn't need to.
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 6, 2020
But a statement sent to me by Honeywell strongly suggests the White House initiated this.
Trump is using these events to project fake normalcy.
New piece:https://t.co/MwuN6uNgUM
Underscoring how opposition to social distancing & other preventative measures has become a form of ideological & even religious belief. Question: how does the D mayor of Charlotte & D gov of NC feel about possibility of thousands of people w/some beliefs gathering in their city? https://t.co/tTm0ChYdqT
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) May 6, 2020
“Models show that if 80 percent of people wear masks that are 60 percent effective, easily achievable with cloth, we can get to an effective R0 of less than one. That’s enough to halt the spread of the disease.” https://t.co/j7xNVtw02i
— Nada Bakos (@nadabakos) May 5, 2020
The damage Trump continues to do by being too vain to wear a mask https://t.co/HUIJsvDciu
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) May 5, 2020
Yes, masks are now a political footballhttps://t.co/RbOX3f9dkv
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) May 5, 2020
What I don't understand is the rush to reopen AND the "protest" against wearing PPE. Wearing masks will mitigate the risks associated *with* reopening — allowing it to potentially accelerate faster while keeping spread down. So why don't GOP leaders aggressively promote it??
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) May 6, 2020
The MAGA hostility to masks seems somehow on brand, though it’s not so easy to say why. Some kind of faux manliness, faux Americanism thing? You say masks and they think niqabs and burkas? Don’t mask me =s don’t tread on me? Could an appeal to the Lone Ranger get them on board?
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) May 6, 2020
.@RyanLizza tells @smerconish that masks have become “the first symbol, I think, of the pandemic that has been sort of politicized.”
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) May 2, 2020
“It should just be a science-based decision, right? There shouldn't really be a big political debate about this.” https://t.co/45FijaXDw0 pic.twitter.com/4cgrXrtBM2
Wearing a mask protects others in case you’ve contracted the virus & don’t know it yet or are asymptomatic. It’s an act of kindness & caring for others, especially essential workers, to wear one in public.
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) May 2, 2020
Since masks mostly protect other people from you rather than the other way around, refusing to wear one means you are a selfish jerk, not a brave voice protesting authority. So very on brand for this WH and the modern GOP. https://t.co/6hIfSwrTNY
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) May 1, 2020
Comment on the tweet/article below:
I think it would be more accurate to say: Liberals are following the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by wearing masks. Conservatives are potentially increasing the likelihood of making other people sick by not wearing masks.
.@dlippman and I wrote about the politicization of masks, yet another sign that in a deeply polarized America almost anything can be turned into a token of tribal affiliation. https://t.co/87R77fBEKJ
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) May 1, 2020
Mask or no mask? The face mask is becoming a political symbol in the brewing culture war over the coronavirus. https://t.co/G1A60ya4sJ
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 7, 2020
Trump calls the press “The Enemy of the People”
The phrase came from Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play An Enemy of the People. I am a big admirer of Ibsen’s plays but don’t think this one of his best. My favorites are The Wild Duck (1884) and Hedda Gabler (1890).
These are the leaders in history who used the phrase "the enemy of the people":
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) April 27, 2020
Stalin
Hitler
Mao
Chavez
Mugabe
Trump
It was too extreme for the later Soviets. In 1956, Khrushchev retired the term, saying it was just aimed at annihilating those who disagreed with Stalin. https://t.co/c9RWbNhMmK
Dear @realDonaldTrump: Can you please focus on the pandemic? The enemy of the people is #COVIDー19. Over 56,000 Americans have died from the virus. We still need much more testing and PPE. That’s not fake news, that’s reality. https://t.co/i4c9yko1dY
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 27, 2020
Cleaning face masks
Why do Michigan protesters have guns?
I don’t want hear any crap from the right wing about Antifa. There were marches and rallies protesting Trump’s election but they didn’t involve guns.
Make no mistake, our GOP legislators are showing their true colors – They don't care about the people, they care about power and trying to take down a Democratic Governor – a woman, no less. https://t.co/SLgDNbRCg8
— Amy Hunter (@amy10506) April 30, 2020
I always wonder what wrong in the lives of these young men that they ended up like this. https://t.co/OOuRChi6iB
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 30, 2020
Let’s be clear about something. Cammo-clad paramilitary fetishists festooned in tactical gear and carrying assault rifles storming our state capitols while “protesting” is obscene. It is an assault on the sanctity of representative democracy and our American system.
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) April 30, 2020
When you need guns to make your “point” it’s usually a clue that you can’t rely on the strength of your ideas https://t.co/FJqZfOdZ1X
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) April 30, 2020
When you show up with rifles, it stops being a protest and becomes a threat. https://t.co/cSzKwu0z6K
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 30, 2020
This happened today at the “liberate” nonsense in Michigan.
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) April 30, 2020
Almost feels like it’s not just about the stay home order.pic.twitter.com/KpMXSjnA0d
Protesters, some carrying firearms, storm Michigan Capitol as state lawmakers debate an extension of Gov. Whitmer’s state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic; lawmakers expected to vote on 28-day extension before it expires at midnight. https://t.co/vveNSmA8LP
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 30, 2020
Forget “the age of Trump” shit. That frames it as if it has only been around the last few years. He is an accelerant, yes. But white men have used firearms to convey their vitriol, bigotries, and insecurities since the very founding of this republic. This has always been America. https://t.co/kyy8PXxcVt
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) April 30, 2020
If they were black or brown or Muslim it would have been a bloodbath. Cops would have unleashed hell on them. Fox News would be ranting about "terrorists!" https://t.co/KtfaM7iAeU
— chauncey devega (@chaunceydevega) April 30, 2020
Armed extremists are threatening Michigan lawmakers who are meeting at the statehouse to consider extending the governor's stay-at-home order before it expires tonight. They demanded to be let onto the House floor, chanting, “Let us in!" #mileg https://t.co/QGo1TQlJ9D
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 30, 2020
Armed protesters inside the Michigan statehouse are screaming Heil Whitmer, according to media. #mileg https://t.co/VK6XrquSSX
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 30, 2020
Recent coronavirus polls
In this Oct-Nov 2009 CNN poll, for example, 57% approved of Obama’s handling of H1N1. Per 538, Trump is at 43.5% approval of his handling of the coronavirus.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 10, 2020
In summary, Trump bashing Obama for “poor marks, bad polls” on H1N1 does not make sense. https://t.co/F8vnsZNIGy pic.twitter.com/9SR5YyYuKU
A new 50-state poll shows that *every single governor* in the United States has a higher approval rating for handling the coronavirus than Trump does in that governor's state. https://t.co/vNHorrS4BK
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 1, 2020
3 governors are reopening their states faster than their voters want. @davidlazer @NUnetsi, @Ognyanova @RutgersCommInfo, @matthewabaum @Kennedy_School find out what the citizens of Georgia, Tennessee and Florida think of their governors’ plans. #Covid19https://t.co/FDoNYAVDKm
— Monkey Cage (@monkeycageblog) April 30, 2020
Trump wants schools to reopen. 85% of Americans disagree. https://t.co/YCb22a2OBi
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) April 29, 2020
New NPR poll:
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) April 29, 2020
55% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of coronavirus, a 6 point *jump* in the last month. Only 44% approve.
By 55-40, they prefer Biden over Trump on coronavirus
By 51-44, they prefer Biden to Trump on the economy (big)https://t.co/1fEGdFalei
Analysis: Again and again, Americans give their governors higher marks on coronavirus than their president https://t.co/NxuAwPIZBX
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 28, 2020
Fascinating leftover @CivisAnalytics stat from this piece:
— Jim Tankersley (@jimtankersley) April 27, 2020
Of Americans WHO OPPOSE LOCKDOWNS:
Just over 5% are nonwhite workers who have personally lost a job in the crisis.
Just under 70% are white workers who have *not* lost a job in the crisis. https://t.co/QZlltD5pqA
A poll released last week broke out responses in three groups:
— Philip Bump (@pbump) April 28, 2020
– those who lost work/pay causing a major problem
– those who lost work/pay with less effect
– those who lost no work/pay
All three groups support distancing by a 4-to-1 margin. https://t.co/xVkaoEeMLo pic.twitter.com/AwcwqQ075V
How many Americans are "very" worried about the coronavirus’s effect on the U.S. economy? https://t.co/El7aStHsgX
— FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) April 28, 2020
Analysis: Those who’ve lost work or pay from the virus still broadly support stay-at-home measures https://t.co/SQDqUhHoqc
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 27, 2020
"Roughly half of adults ages 18 to 29 (48%) say they have had a virtual party or gathering because of COVID-19, compared with 38% of those ages 30 to 49 and 21% of those 50 and older," via @pewresearch @FactTank @Emily_Vogels https://t.co/dYA6stE112 pic.twitter.com/DNsYqeolzb
— Brooke Auxier (@brookeauxier) April 30, 2020
