Tag: Trump fragile ego

Biden blasts Trump comments: ‘I am not running for office to be King of America’

The Hill logoFormer Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday ripped President Trump for his assertion that he has the power to make states reopen their economies amid the continuing COVID-19 outbreak.

“I am not running for office to be King of America. I respect the Constitution. I’ve read the Constitution. I’ve sworn an oath to it many times,” the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee tweeted.
“I respect the great job so many of this country’s governors — Democratic and Republican — are doing under these horrific circumstances,” he said. Continue reading.

GOP Politician: If We Don’t Blame China For Virus, Voters ‘Will Blame Trump’

Recent polling has shown that a majority of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. ABC News recently found that 55 percent disapprove of Trump’s response, an increase of 12 percentage points since the middle of March.

At the same time, Trump has blamed China for his administration’s slow response to the outbreak. He repeatedly referred to it as the “Chinese” virus and released a racist campaign ad with a similar message. He repeatedly refers to it incorrectly as the “Chinese virus” even as experts have warned against it. The World Health Organization says that naming viruses after a geographic location is wrong, as it causes unfair stigmatization of people who have nothing to do with the outbreak and its spread.

From the April 14 edition of Steve Bannon’s far-right podcast “War Room”: Continue reading.

Trump Attacks World Health Organization To Deflect From His Own Failures

President Donald Trump is now scapegoating the World Health Organization (WHO), claiming it must be held accountable for what he claims is their fault that the coronavirus spread into the United States. Trump took no responsibility for his actions allowing the coronavirus to spread throughout the U.S.

America is now the number one in the world for deaths and number of cases.

The WHO is Trump’s seventh target for blame to deflect from his horrific mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading.

‘You know you’re a fake!’: Trump’s temper flares when a reporter nails his key coronavirus failure

AlterNet logoCBS reporter Paula Reid drilled down Monday on one of President Donald Trump’s key failures in the response to the coronavirus pandemic, and it clearly touched a nerve.

The moment came during the evening’s White House press briefing after Trump played a propaganda-style video touting his supposed efforts to prepare for the virus, including his over-hyped restrictions on travel from China.

But Reid noted there was a crucial gap in the video. It listed nothing done he had during the month of February to prepare for the virus, after the travel restrictions but before there were detections of widespread outbreaks in the United States. The administration could have been building up capacity to treat and detect the disease, or perhaps manufacturing enough personal protective equipment for health care workers who are now in desperate need. But little progress was made, and essentially an entire month was wasted. Continue reading.

Trump Campaign Sues Over Ad Reciting His Pandemic Failures

Donald Trump’s reelection campaign filed a lawsuit Monday against a local television station in Wisconsin, accusing it of airing a campaign ad the suit calls “false and defamatory” — even though the ad accurately relays Trump’s comments.

The ad, produced by the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA, uses audio clips of Trump downplaying the new coronavirus.

The audio accompanies a chart showing the number of cases of COVID-19 exponentially growing. Continue reading.

Trump removed the head of the coronavirus bailout oversight board. Its members could be next

AlterNet logoIn the wake of President Trump’s move to push aside the official who was supposed to lead the coronavirus bailout watchdog group, four other members are just as vulnerable.

Trump was able to remove the panel’s chosen head, Glenn Fine, by naming a new Defense Department inspector general and bumping Fine to the No. 2 job at the Pentagon watchdog office. No longer an acting inspector general, Fine was disqualified from serving on the panel he was supposed to lead.

Fine’s removal sounded an alarm among Democrats in Congress, who had demanded that spending safeguards be built into the $2 trillion recovery package. House Democrats rushed out a proposed tweak that would stop further removals like Fine’s by opening up eligibility to senior officials in IG offices, not just IGs themselves. Continue reading.

Trump likely to announce curbs on funding for World Health Organization this week

Washington Post logoPresident Trump is likely to announce restrictions on U.S. funding for the World Health Organization this week over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as the administration and conservative allies have ramped up their criticism that the United Nations agency catered to China early in the outbreak and jeopardized global health.

Trump hinted at a temporary hold on U.S. funding Friday but said he wanted to wait until after Easter to announce anything. He said his administration would discuss the organization “in great detail” this week, adding that he did not want to go further “before we had all the facts.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other U.S. officials are expected to recommend to Trump ways to dock or condition payments to the agency as Republicans in Congress seek documentation of WHO dealings with China, said people familiar with White House and State Department discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

Chanel Rion of OANN returns to White House briefing in defiance of correspondents’ association — and at the White House’s invitation

Washington Post logoA cable news correspondent who has been barred from White House briefings by a journalists’ organization said Thursday she had been explicitly invited by President Trump’s press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, and plans to continue covering the daily sessions.

Chanel Rion, who works for the Trump-friendly One America News Network, made the remarks on the air Thursday amid a standoff with the White House Correspondents Association over her repeated appearances in the small briefing room on days when it was not her organization’s turn to attend. Hours later, she showed up to the briefing for the third consecutive day.

Rion said Grisham had signed off on her presence, despite a strict seat rotation established during the coronavirus crisis to thin the usual crowd and keep reporters and officials — including Trump and Vice President Mike Pence — at a safe distance from one another. Continue reading.

The Memo: Concerns grow over political pressure on coronavirus experts

The Hill logoExperts are worried that scientists and other key public health figures are facing increasing political pressure as the coronavirus crisis deepens.

The near-daily press briefings at the White House have seen tense moments between President Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, the two main public faces of the crisis from the scientific community.

At the same time, recent comments Birx made in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network sparked concern among the left and beyond. Continue reading.

Trump says he advises coronavirus task force not to contact unappreciative governors

Axios logo“If they don’t treat you right, I don’t call,” President Trump told reporters at the White House coronavirus task force briefing on Friday, referring to U.S. governors battling the spread of COVID-19.

What he’s saying: Trump said that while “generally speaking,” the nation’s governors have been appreciative of his administration’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19, there are some — including Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — who the task force should not bother contacting.

  • “All I want them to do, very simple, I want them to be appreciative. I don’t want them to say things that aren’t true, I want them to be appreciative. We’ve done a great job,” Trump said on Friday.
  • When discussing Vice President Mike Pence’s efforts on the task force, Trump said: “He calls all the governors, I tell him, I mean I’m a different type of person, I say Mike, don’t call the governor of Washington, you’re wasting your time with him. Don’t call the woman in Michigan … if they don’t treat you right, I don’t call. He’s a different type of person.”
  • The White House declined to comment. Continue reading.