Donald Trump (image via public domain/White House) The latest polls show the mixed messaging of the Trump administration is taking a toll on Donald Trump’s job approval rating. Via Mediaite:
An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday, 47 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s coronavirus response, while 52 percent of Americans disapprove — a steep drop from the same poll taken just two weeks ago when a whopping 55 percent approved of Trump’s response.
And in Trump’s favorite survey, the Trump-skewing Rasmussen daily tracking poll, his approval rating has dropped four points in a matter of days. The last time Trump was above water in that poll was Feb. 27, when his approval was at 52 percent. But he began this week with a -5 point net unfavorability, and finishes it nine points underwater with 44 percent approving and 53 percent disapproving.
Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has threatened TV stations they could lose their broadcast licenses for airing an ad criticizing how the Donald has handled the ongoing COVID-19 threat. From Bloomberg News:
President Donald Trump’s campaign, in a letter on Wednesday, told stations in five battleground states to stop showing the ad from Priorities USA, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Failure to remove the ad “could put your station’s license in jeopardy” before the Federal Communications Commission, the campaign said in the letter. “Your station has an obligation to cease and desist from airing it immediately to comply with FCC licensing requirements.”
The letter was sent to stations in presidential battleground/swing states – Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – which are considered vital to Trump’s reelection. The spot, from anti-Trump PAC Priorities USA, shows a graphic of the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. from January 20 to March 22. The audio uses sound bites of Trump downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus threat at the time. “The coronavirus,” Trump says at the beginning, “this is their new hoax.” This is the updated version of the spot released today:
Donald Trump announced an extension of his administration’s “15 days to slow the spread” shutdown guidelines for 30 more days as the reality of increasing coronavirus infections and deaths set in. Public health officials and governors had urged him to change course from lifting the shutdown on Easter Sunday. Via Axios:
The president set April 30 as the new deadline for the social distancing guidelines in a Sunday evening briefing from the White House.
Driving the news: With the original 15-day period that was announced March 16 about to end, officials around the country had been bracing for a premature call to return to normalcy from a president who’s been venting lately that the prescription for containing the virus could be worse than the impacts of the virus itself.
“We had an aspiration” of Easter, Trump said, but when he heard the numbers of potential deaths, he realized he couldn’t push a reopening of the economy as soon as he previously had foreshadowed.
Trump explained his turnaround by saying his government’s modeling shows the peak death rate will likely come in two weeks. He said that 2.2 million people could die if the government did nothing and the public didn’t do the social distancing. “Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won,” he said.
Breaking: Dr Fauci, speaking after President Trump, says the risk of hundreds of thousands deaths in US from coronavirus has prompted the extension of restrictions to April 30th in the hope of bringing these numbers down.
President Trump says he doesn’t believe floating Easter Sunday as a day to ease guidelines was not a mistake because it was “aspirational.” Now, he says Easter should be the “peak” of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
Donald Trump Donald Trump took the time to copy and paste text from a New York Times report about the viewership of the White House daily press briefings since the onset of the COVID-19 threat. It took the Donald four tweets to fit in all the ratings numbers he is so proud of, and then he came back an hour later with yet another ‘ratings tweet.’ An unprecedented number of Americans are contracting a lethal virus and Trump’s takeaway is beating “Bachelor finale” ratings.
“President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘The Bachelor.’ Numbers are continuing to rise…
…On Monday, nearly 12.2 million people watched Mr. Trump’s briefing on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, according to Nielsen — ‘Monday Night Football’ numbers. Millions more are watching on ABC, CBS, NBC and online streaming sites, and the audience is expanding. On Monday, Fox News…
…alone attracted 6.2 million viewers for the president’s briefing — an astounding number for a 6 p.m. cable broadcast, more akin to the viewership for a popular prime-time sitcom…
Because the “Ratings” of my News Conferences etc. are so high, “Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers” according to the @nytimes, the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY. “Trump is reaching too many people, we must stop him.” said one lunatic. See you at 5:00 P.M.!
Donald Trump (photo: public domain)The Wall Street Journalreports Donald Trump would like to see his signature on the stimulus checks that will be sent out after he signed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package into law Friday, according to an administration official. Normally such checks would be signed by a disbursing officer, not the president. Trump always wants “credit” for everything that happens in the country, and a check bearing his signature could appear to some as if the Donald is giving Americans these funds when actually the American people are writing the checks.
Trump's "signature" on checks is a great lie that will be totally believed and worshiped by his base. 43% of Americans will think he's giving them money. https://t.co/hTTndXA8Wl
UNREAL!! "Trump Reportedly Wants His Signature on Coronavirus Stimulus Checks" – This checks are from Treasury Dept not Trump but he wants to make Americans think it was all him! https://t.co/6rLcsGZ5SD
Donald Trump (screen capture) A reporter at a press conference asks a question hoping to get a direct question. But that doesn’t happen with Donald Trump. At today’s White House press briefing ABC News’ Jonathan Karl asked Trump, “Are you able to guarantee, to assure these states, these hospitals, that everybody who needs a ventilator will get a ventilator?” “Here’s what I’ll tell you – I think we’re in really good shape,” replied Trump. “This is a pandemic the likes of which nobody’s seen before. I think we’re in great shape. Ventilators are a big deal. We’ve distributed vast numbers of ventilators, and we’re prepared to do vast numbers. I think we’re in great shape. I hope that’s the case. I hope we’re going to have leftovers so we can help other people, other countries.” You’ll note the Trumpster didn’t answer the question. Still looking for an answer, Karl repeated, “Will everyone who needs one be able to get a ventilator?” “Look, don’t be a cutie pie, ok?” snapped Trump. “Nobody’s ever done what we’ve done. Nobody’s done anything like we’ve been able to do. And everything I took over was a mess. It was a broken country in so many ways, in so many ways other than this. We had a bad testing system, we had a bad stockpile system, we had nothing in the stockpile system. So I wouldn’t tell me what you’re — you know, like, being a wise guy.” Still no answer as to if everyone who needs a ventilator will get one. Just a word salad. Watch the exchange below.
JON KARL: So everybody who needs a ventilator will be able to get one?
TRUMP: "Look, don't be a cutie pie. 'Everyone who needs one'- nobody's ever done what we've done. Nobody's done anything like we've been able to do. Everything I took over was a mess. It was a broken country" pic.twitter.com/5eN8Q3pzrA
After being critical of some states’ governors, Trump was asked what more he wanted the governors to do? Trump answered, “I want them to be appreciative. I don’t want them to say things that aren’t true. I want them to be appreciative.” He added later, “You know what I say? If they don’t treat you right, I don’t call.” So, for Americans to get help from the federal government, Trump needs his butt kissed. Got it.
REPORTER: What more specifically do you want the [governors] to do?
TRUMP: 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. … You know what I say? 'If they don't treat you right, I don't call.' pic.twitter.com/vl3GPLw2ra
L-R Rep. Thomas Massie, Donald Trump Donald Trump has now turned his ire on a member of his own party. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has issues with the Coronavirus Stimulus legislation that passed in the Senate earlier this week and now needs to be approved by the House. Massie has tweeted he plans to ask for a full vote of the House which will require members who are home in their own districts to travel back to Washington, D.C. which will cause the bill’s approval to be delayed. Trump took to Twitter to call the Republican out as a “third rate Grandstander:”
“Looks like a third rate Grandstander named @RepThomasMassie, a Congressman from, unfortunately, a truly GREAT State, Kentucky, wants to vote against the new Save Our Workers Bill in Congress. He just wants the publicity. He can’t stop it, only delay, which is both dangerous & costly. Workers & small businesses need money now in order to survive. Virus wasn’t their fault. It is “HELL” dealing with the Dems, had to give up some stupid things in order to get the “big picture” done. 90% GREAT! WIN BACK HOUSE, but throw Massie out of Republican Party!”
(1/11)I swore an oath to uphold the constitution, and I take that oath seriously. In a few moments I will request a vote on the CARES Act which means members of Congress will vote on it by pushing “yes” or “no” or “present.”
(2/11)The Constitution requires that a quorum of members be present to conduct business in the House. Right now, millions of essential, working-class Americans are still required to go to work during this pandemic such as manufacturing line workers, healthcare professionals,
(3/11) pilots, grocery clerks, cooks/chefs, delivery drivers, auto mechanics, and janitors (to name just a few). Is it too much to ask that the House do its job, just like the Senate did?
…& costly. Workers & small businesses need money now in order to survive. Virus wasn’t their fault. It is “HELL” dealing with the Dems, had to give up some stupid things in order to get the “big picture” done. 90% GREAT! WIN BACK HOUSE, but throw Massie out of Republican Party!
NPR station KUOW in Seattle has announced it will no longer broadcast the White House daily briefings on the coronavirus due to “a pattern of false information and exaggeration.” Via the Washington Post:
“After airing the White House briefings live for two weeks, a pattern of false information and exaggeration increasingly had many at KUOW questioning whether these briefings were in the best service of our mission — to create and serve a more informed public,” notes the statement, posted Wednesday afternoon.
“Of even greater concern was the potential impact of false information on the health and safety of our community.” KUOW provided three examples of bogus information stemming from the briefings. All of them — surprise — came from President Trump.
• “Nobody knew there’d be a pandemic or an epidemic of this proportion,” President Trump said at a live White House briefing on March 19 despite warnings from the U.S. Intelligence community earlier this year.
• “You’re seeing very few empty shelves,” our listeners heard live from President Trump on March 20. Local reporting shows many stores are out of basic supplies, including hand soap.
• We’re going to be able to make the drug chloroquine “available almost immediately” said President Trump on March 19. The president claimed, incorrectly, that the FDA had fast-tracked approval of its use to treat COVID-19. There isn’t current medical evidence of the efficacy of that drug in treating COVID-19.
In related news, The Hill reports major news outlets have now started to cut away from the briefings after less than half an hour as well. Except Fox News, of course,
(photo: public domain – Flickr/WhiteHouse) Donald Trump has announced he wants the U.S. economy “reopened” by the Easter holiday on April 12. That’s much sooner than medical experts have previously indicated would be prudent. From the New York Times:
Even as nations from Britain to India declare nationwide economic lockdowns, President Trump said he “would love to have the country opened up, and just raring to go, by Easter,” less than three weeks away, a goal that top health professionals have called far too quick.
“I think it’s possible, why not?” he said with a shrug.
Participating in a town hall hosted by Fox News on Tuesday, he expressed outrage about having to “close the country” to curb the spread of the coronavirus and indicated that his guidelines on business shutdowns and social distancing would soon be lifted.
“I gave it two weeks,” he said, adding, “We can socially distance ourselves and go to work.”
Trump later amended his remarks saying, “This is a medical crisis, not a financial crisis,” and added his decisions will be based on health considerations and hard facts.
Trump on why he picked Easter as the day he wants to end strict social distancing and reopen American businesses: “Easter is a very special day for me … Easter Sunday, and you’ll have packed churches all over our country.” pic.twitter.com/6cXEtW8LmR
Trump repeats his earlier wish to abandon stringent public-health measures to combat the coronavirus and re-open the economy by Easter pic.twitter.com/ysrr2FDGEZ
I too want the country open by Easter. And when I was a kid I wanted to fly. Gravity was educational; epidemiology should be educational too. https://t.co/tBFwMWu9ck
Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (screen capture) Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Pete and Chasten Buttigieg have started live-streaming on the Gram. While their chat with actress/singer Mandy Moore was fun today, the big news is that #BeardEdgeEdge (above) is happening! #Yassss! • Reuters: Andorra, a nation of 80,000 people on the border of France and Spain, is set to legalize gay marriage, highlighting that eastern European countries with anti-LGBT laws are “on the wrong side of history”, leading human rights specialists said on Monday. A bill presented by the ruling coalition of Andorra will remove the legal distinction between same-sex civil unions and heterosexual weddings. • Out Music: Singer/songwriter Philp La Rosa’s latest single, “Paradise,” was inspired by his 7-year relationship with his boyfriend. Says La Rosa, “The journey of our love has honestly been like running through Paradise. But even in Paradise, we can trip and fall sometimes. The beauty of being in a loving relationship is we get to pull each other up, point out where we went wrong and keep running.” The synth-pop track has a mellow, chill vibe that partners well with La Rosa’s winning, winsome vocals. Hit the play button below. • US News & World Report: Addressing a shortage of ventilators for the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump said on Saturday, “General Motors, Ford, so many companies — I had three calls yesterday directly, without having to institute like: `You will do this’ — these companies are making them right now.” Fact check: No automaker is anywhere close to making medical gear such as ventilators. • Science Magazine: Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci on dealing with Trump’s coronavirus exaggerations and lies during pressers: “I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.” • Gay Star News: Pride in London, the UK’s biggest LGBT+ Pride event, has announced it is postponing its 2020 event. The march, rally and official street parties were all due to take place on Saturday 27 June this year. Moreover, Pride bosses are also postponing the festival in the run-up to the main day. • Business Insider: Dow dives 582 points as impatience over pending coronavirus bill outweighs new Federal Reserve stimulus. #SoMuchWinning
