Trump undermines his pandemic response with more misinformation and self-obsession

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/29/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-response/index.html

 President Donald Trump's return as the face of the Covid-19 response has deteriorated into a misinformation masterclass that explains why America is in such a mess.

In an extraordinary performance Tuesday, as the daily death toll again soared toward 1,000 and the number of Americans dead approached a tragic milestone of 150,000, Trump again foreswore the most basic requirements of national leadership in a crisis.

At a White House briefing that turned almost into a parody of his own mismanagement of the pandemic, he complained that the government's top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, had better approval ratings than he did.

He painted a misleading picture of a viral surge still raging across Southern and Western states that is showing new signs of spreading deeper into the heartland, saying large portions of the country were "corona-free."

 And he launched a stunning new pitch for hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug beloved by conservative media but that has not been shown in rigorous clinical trials to be an effective treatment for Covid-19.

Given the trail of sickness and death that has unfolded in recent months, it was bizarre though not surprising that the President would return to the controversy over hydroxychloroquine. On Monday night, he retweeted videos describing hydroxychloroquine as a "cure" that meant Americans didn't need to wear masks.

 

 

Minneapolis Police Reportedly Identify Viral 'Umbrella Man' As White Supremacist

https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/07/28/896515022/minneapolis-police-reportedly-identify-viral-umbrella-man-as-white-supremacist

Police say the masked, umbrella-wielding man who smashed windows at a Minneapolis auto parts store two days after George Floyd's death has ties to a white supremacist group and specifically sought to inflame racial tensions.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minneapolis police arson investigator Erika Christensen wrote in a search warrant affidavit filed this week that the man's actions created a hostile atmosphere and sparked a series of events that turned previously peaceful protests chaotic. She said she believed his "sole aim was to incite violence."

 

Chris Cuomo reacts to Trump comment 'nobody likes me'

Trump Jr. bashes Twitter over suspension: 'This never happens to ... the left. It only hurts conservatives'

https://www.foxnews.com/media/donald-trump-jr-responds-twitter-suspension-hydroxychloroquine

Donald Trump Jr. joined "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Tuesday to respond to the 12-hour suspension of his Twitter account after he posted a video featuring doctors endorsing the use of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus.

"I've been saying this for a long time," the presidents eldest son told host Tucker Carlson. "I wrote my first book about justice and censorship coming from the big tech giants from California -- as homogenous a group as you could possibly imagine. If they are censoring my account, they are censoring others and they've been trying to do this for a while.

"I've been talking about the deplatforming, that demonetization of people that are preaching conservative values," Trump Jr. added, "because you have to note, this never happens to someone saying something that benefits the left. It only hurts conservatives."

 

AG Barr’s Testimony Drives Former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg To Utter ‘I Miss Jeff Sessions’

Tapper rebukes Jim Jordan: You owe CNN reporters an apology

Trump abruptly ends briefing after being pressed over retweeting misinformation

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/28/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-briefing/index.html

 Even amid an attempt by President Donald Trump's aides to shift his focus back to coronavirus, he continues to hear from a wide range of associates -- including the CEO of a far-right television network -- who are undermining the administration's health experts and questioning their approach to the pandemic, people familiar with the conversations say.

Trump resumed his daily news briefings on Tuesday afternoon, where he again touted advancements on vaccines and treatments for the virus. After largely ignoring the pandemic for weeks and denying its severity, the White House revived the briefings last week to demonstrate presidential leadership.

But the approach has hit early stumbling blocks.

When Trump was pressed by CNN's Kaitlan Collins about his words of support for a doctor who downplayed masks and suggested alien DNA was used in medical treatments, he cut the briefing short and stormed out.

 

Rav Gestetner regarding Aharon Friedman

Barr clashes with Democrats over policing and Roger Stone sentencing: 'I'm telling my story — that's what I'm here to do'

 https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/28/politics/william-barr-house-hearing/index.html

 

 Democrats launched into several impassioned attacks on Barr, and in multiple exchanges he and the lawmakers raised their voices and interrupted one another. When Democrats cut off Barr during their time to question him, he often used the next round of Republican questioning as a chance to respond.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York, pressed Barr on whether federal troops deployed to cities were being used as "props" for Trump's reelection. Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas pushed him on whether the Trump administration was fighting systemic racism in policing, and Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia accused Barr of aiding Trump's longtime friend Roger Stone and first national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Barr dismissed the Democratic charges, saying that he acted independently to protect the rule of law in the Stone and Flynn cases, that he disagreed there was systemic racism in police departments and that federal officers had been sent to protect federal buildings "under attack" and combat violence crime.

'Shame on you': Democrats attack Barr for carrying out Trump agenda

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/28/william-barr-hearing-democrats-federal-agents-trump

Democrats clashed angrily with Donald Trump’s attorney general on Tuesday, over the aggressive deployment of federal agents to US cities three months before a presidential election.

The attorney general denied the interventions were motivated by Trump’s re-election.

 

Don Lemon, Chuck Todd make cameos at Barr hearing when Jim Jordan plays video of 'peaceful' protesters

A variety of MSNBC and CNN hosts made cameos during Attorney General William Barr's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday when Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, used his opening statement to put an emphasis on mainstream media’s efforts to paint sometimes violent protesters as “peaceful.”

“I want to thank you for defending law enforcement, for pointing out what a crazy idea this defund the police policy ... whatever you want to call it, is, and standing up for the rule of law,” Jordan said. “We have a video we want to show that gets right to this point.”

 Jordan then played a powerful video montage featuring a variety of mainstream media members referring to recent protests as “peaceful,” which included everyone from CNN’s Don Lemon to NBC News’ Chuck Todd dismissing violence amid images of burning buildings and attacks on law enforcement.

Twitter restricts Donald Trump Jr. for sharing coronavirus misinformation video

Trump Spreads False Information About Coronavirus “Cure” | Morning Joe | MSNBC

Bill Barr to Testify Before Congress. Here’s How I’d Cross-Examine Him.