Take your pick from the buffet of catastrophic political stories today. Yesterday, we set a new record for daily confirmed coronavirus cases – America had 52,788 new cases on July 1. On one day. 52,788 cases. And on the very same day, Donald Trump went to Fox News and repeated the same claim he’s made for months now, which is that the virus will eventually “sort of just disappear.”
Trump ludicrously claimed to Fox Business just now that "I think we're gonna be very good with the coronavirus. I think that at some point that's going to sort of just disappear, I hope." (The virus will not disappear on its own.) pic.twitter.com/ZkLtjKUEDu
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 1, 2020
One of the huge reasons why there are so many new cases over the past month is because (duh) too many states were trying to reopen too fast. States with Republican governors are especially guilty of this, because Trump has been exerting pressure on all states to reopen their economies fast so that… he’ll win re-election. Speaking of, Trump now claims that he’s “all for masks” and always has been.
President Trump on Fox Biz: "Actually, I had a mask on. I sort of liked the way I looked, OK? I thought it was OK.
It was a dark black mask, and I thought it looked OK. Looked like the Lone Ranger."
— Catherine Lucey (@catherine_lucey) July 1, 2020
President Trump weighs in on the ongoing mask debate as officials warn against fake exemption cards – here’s @SamBrockNBC with the details. pic.twitter.com/0o2oviSwKl
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) July 2, 2020
And finally, just in case you thought the Russian-bounties for dead American soldiers story couldn’t get any worse, Trump and his people can’t get their stories straight about who knew what and when. Now Trump seems to be claiming that his people don’t brief him on *everything* especially when it’s about Russia’s GRU targeting US soldiers. Intelligence officials are saying that they have always found it difficult to brief Trump on anything involving Russia, because Trump is a pathetic coward terrified of Putin. And Trump said this when asked about the bounty story in the same Fox News interview:
Trump dodges a question about how he'd respond if it turned out to be true that Russia put bounties on US troops pic.twitter.com/D499SSsBVZ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 1, 2020
And finally, this:
Come. On. pic.twitter.com/VtfgrM8hIW
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 2, 2020
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
The death toll is going to be so large. Also, the way we’re headed, we won’t be able to reopen schools in the fall and the pain will inflict is heart breaking. Also, Americans haven’t figured this out yet, but we can’t leave our own country right now. No one will let us in. You can bet that I am so tired of winning, and I AM saying, please please, no more winning I can’t take it.
The parent FB pages for one of my son’s university have been a nightmare of arguments about whether it’s safe for students to go back in Aug. They opened a bar off campus in early June, packed it with students who didn’t distance or wear masks and 85+ new cases have come out of that so far and they’ve traced the spread to another city. And this is when only a fraction of the student population is there.
All of my son’s classes except one have moved online, his activities have been cancelled, so he’s thinking he might stay home to do his classes. But he probably can’t get out of his housing contract so he feels pressured to go. The uncertainty and anxiety just suck.
I feel for all those young adults who graduate school this year and have to either start college / university or find a job.
At the Univ of AL students threw covid parties-put money in a pot and first one testing positive collects. Morons.
Tell him to carry a walking stick…and demand that folks stay a MINIMUM of 4′ away from him, then prove the distance with the stick (he may “accidentally” hit a couple of cyclists but if the stick has a rubber tip, they won’t be hurt, in my experience). Tell him to wear a mask, demand his space, and to WASH HIS HANDS* Many times a day, not just after relieving himself. *Handwashing with soap and water is our MOST IMPORTANT DEFENSE and the least emphasized (I find that so odd).* Our Dr. Bonnie Henry also implores people to be kind, be calm and be safe. Tell him to carry alcohol-based wipes, sprays and hand-sanitizer and to clean things BEFORE he sits down, or touches a desk. If he wears gloves, they must be changed each time he leaves a place (discard gloves, put on fresh pair…I sometimes go through 10+ pairs of gloves in a day at work. Tell him to stay home, not socialize with strangers, not gather in large groups and to STAY SAFE. I’m so worried for our students, but this seriously has to become our new normal if we are to ever get a handle on this virus, let alone get on top of it…..
He is going to get us all killed.
Correction: the GOP is going to kill us all.
This country is being run by a toddler.
Pence, the members of the Cabinet, and the Republican Senators must answer why they allowed this maniac and his daughter and son-in-law to remain in power to destroy this country and kill so many Americans. And no, tax cuts for the rich is not a good answer
It is so much worse than I ever imagined. People need to be held accountable indeed.
So true. It’s so easy to blame everything on Agent Orange alone. Without all those enablers he would not be able to do ANYTHING. He can rage tweet and lie all he wants, THEY are mostly responsible for what is happening in the federal states.
Donald Trump is a useful idiot. I hate him but I hate his enablers far more. They had ample opportunity to get rid of him well before all of this and chose not to.
Well said, LP. And all of the “adults in the room” knew that he was dangerously unqualified for his responsibilities. They KNEW that eventually something would happen that would require a President with competence, and they knew that he would be unable to rise to the occasion. Even if they didn’t predict a pandemic, they knew he was a danger. They should be held accountable.
He HAS been impeached already. It was the perfect opportunity for these ‘adults in the room’ to get rid of him and they passed it up. Bunch of total morons.
Yes if you close your eyes it will disappear, as will everything else 🤣
He has an infant’s understanding of object permanence. Yeah us 😷
He’s made several comments like this, and many around him we’re calling covid a “democrat or liberal hoax”. I wonder if that’s what he means? It will somehow disappear because they don’t really think it’s real?
A lot of his followers have been saying ‘this will all disappear nov 3rd. Just watch.’ And since he’s in a echo chamber he’s repeating that back to them, just paraphrasing like garbage like always.
He really does believe that anything bad that happens to him is a hoax out to get him (see Russian bounty story)
I never understand those arguments. The virus is worldwide. In order for that conspiracy to work, everyone around the world, in every country, would all have to agree on the same thing, at the same time, just to get one over on Trump. Like how even?!?
@whatever I’ve asked that. It’s the media blowing it out of proportion. More people die in car wrecks worldwide, it’s the media making it scary. It’s just the flu!
SMH. Living in Texas means I’m surrounded by morons
@Scal, living here in St. Louis and truly surrounded by idiots!
I thought South Georgia had the market cornered when it came to idiots?
This has to be a freaking nightmare. Someone wake me up because this is the most frightening nightmare I’ve ever had.
Stay calm. Deep breaths. Mask whenever you go outside, social distance and only immediate family allowed in the house. Don’t let anyone talk you into coming over for a drink or a quick dinner. It absolutely stinks and is scary as hell, but you’ve got this.
I believe mostly everyone is a shade of gray when it comes to being morality. Most are not totally bad or completely good. Even the worst people had or have at least one person they cared about and did at least a few good deeds no matter how small they were.
I say mostly everyone because I don’t think any good exists whatsoever in Donald Trump. He cares about the well-being of nothing and no one but himself. Anyone he seems close to it’s because he sees them as an extension of himself (Ivanka) or they serve a purpose (ego feeding, enrichment). He’s the perfect storm of narcissism and sociopathy. He’s incapable of feeling even the slightest shred of empathy or perspective. He covers malice with incompetence. Nothing is ever his fault or responsibility. His need for adulation leaves him susceptible to the influence of dictators and grifters. He lacks the intelligence for introspection. Think of the worst thing a human being could do because Donald Trump is capable of doing it. And he won’t take responsibility for it unless he thinks it’ll portray him in a favorable light.
This is why he scares me.
It never should have gotten this far. He should have been removed from office three years ago. Our institutions have failed us.
Yes to everything you said. He should have been shunned by society decades ago. He had no business anywhere near the office of POTUS.
I cannot understand how half of this country could vote for this man as our president. Remember when you were a kid and the office of the presidency was something you looked up to, aspired to? I know our presidents have been far from perfect but this man? THIS MAN????? He has absolutely no compassion for anything or anyone and it’s not hard to see. He shows us every day! Yet these people still support him to lead our country? I just don’t get it.
Please vote.
half of the country didn’t vote PERIOD. and of those that did, 3,000,000 more voted for HRC.
so, though he was elected, only about a quarter of the country actually voted for the guy.
f*ck my fellow citizens who didn’t vote, and F*CK the electoral college.
Spoken like an erudite, compassionate and empathetic person. Beautifully stated.
Beautifully said, Sean.
Let’s not kid ourselves – they’re not acting because they don’t care. Like most diseases, it’s primarily ravaging larger cities, and cities tend to lean blue. Compound that with the reports that it’s mainly killing minorities, and they’re just flat out excited to let apathy do its job murdering thousands of innocent people to benefit them in the long run.
Our state plans to reopen schools as normal next month. Sports programs, summer camps, restaurants, parks, businesses, everything is reopened.
This makes it VERY hard for people who aren’t comfortable or entirely sure what’s safe and what’s not. Keeping my child home, out of school, pausing his swimming and karate lessons, etc will have virtually no effect, apart from keeping our small family a bit safer. So do I let my child continue to suffer and miss out? Or do I let him go back and do his life and be with other children, play, learn and have some normalcy? It’s something we struggle with in a state that has basically gone back to normal and is seeing a huge spike in cases as a result.
Before all this, my grandparents watched my son and he went to Mother’s Day Out twice a week to give them a break. But my grandfather has COPD and them watching my son is just not going to be an option this fall. Daycares near me are not accepting new children (for good reason). I’m still furloughed but there is a very real possibility that I will have to say no if I am offered my job back. I would love to go back to work if a) I had things to do (hospitality industry) and 2) I had safe care for my kid. But now McConnell doesn’t want to do shit because “people wont come back to work” we are SCARED. This is real! I don’t want to get Covid because our guests don’t want to wear a mask or sneeze near me.
Because golden showers.
God do I hate Trump.
It’s more than that. Maybe what the Russians have on Graham. But Trump has to be up to his neck in Russian mob money. That’s what they have over him.
Yesterday Lincoln Project put out a Dump trump ad entirely in Russian. It’s killer. Can’t post link here, but check it out.
I adore and admire the work that the Lincoln Project is doing. I just watched the Russian one. It is very well done and a killer. Their one right before it is called Betrayal and is the most powerful ad I’ve ever seen.
The ad is very good – the only issue I have with it (and really, this is splitting hairs) is that Putin isn’t really a Communist. The only thing he’s interested in is increasing Russia’s (ie his own) geopolitical influence to restore its status as a global superpower.
Fun fact – @1:18, there is a photo of Trump next to a photo of a statue to Mikhael Kalashnikov, the inventor of the AK-47.
Of course the mask thing thing has always been about his looks. Everyone everywhere who’s not wearing a mask as a solidarity thumbs up to the orange boil is risking the health of everyone in their orbit over a toddler’s vanity. Not only does he think it’s not cool, it messes up his makeup. That’s what his base is fighting for. Perceived swagger and a painted face. Somebody should let him know he looks better completely covered. Oranges are crying appropriation and want their color back.
All that money and he doesn’t own a single mirror. Sad.
@CanadianBacon, you cut to the heart of the matter. We don’t have enough knowledge of our history, values and philosophy. Our educational systems and family groups failed most of us. We focus on “rights” with no sense that the rights also come with equally important responsibilities! And most of the ones screaming for “muh freedoms” also make a huge deal of their Christianity, without acknowledging the irony that Jesus would have been the first to don a mask to help keep people safe! It’s beyond pitiful and frustrating.
What’s with Americans and obsession with their right and freedoms? Seems to be of more value then their countries health issues ..don’t they realize by not wearing a mask it’s a risk to others also , especially seniors? ! This Selfish behaviour has made the USA a joke..were already laughing at your choice of president
So true! Just wear a mask you morons. I would never want to be responsible for giving anyone COVID. It just not about one person as a whole. Think of your fellow man for a change. I’ve never seen such a selfish group of people and the whole mentality of “every man for themselves” is pathetic.
I live in a medium sized city in Ontario, Canada and we have had no new cases for the past couple weeks. You know why? Cause we actually give a crap about one another, mask up, wash our hands and social distance. We don’t make this a political problem and we tend to listen to our government and doctors on how we need to beat this. I might not agree with everything that Ford and Trudeau have done, but they really have tried to come together, as true adults do, and help our Country out.
I have never been so confused by the US with generally crappy behaviour. If I have to hear one more time” it’s my right” I think I’ll throw up. I really feel bad for Americans who get what we’re all dealing with. It must be horrible!
They are so fearful of being communist that they are willing to sacrifice their own family members to obtain those freedoms. Their personal freedoms have gone too far and should not exceed infecting someone else in the process.
The long rangers mask ONLY COVERS HIS EYES YOU MORON.
I mean *throws hands in the air*.
Maybe he’s talking about whatever sleep mask he wears at night 🙄🙄
He can’t get anything right! Although, yes, the virus will go away. Pandemics reach an end at some point. I’m sure he’ll take credit for that when it happens.
Trump is the living breathing archetype of the old guy sitting in the Barca-lounger screaming at the TV about how he should run the country ‘cause the yahoos in Washington don’t have a clue.
There’s one of these for every petty annoyance the civilized world has experienced since time immemorial. Except these dudes tend not to get the chance to be proven wrong.
So we get Trump because every wife-beater wearing beer-guzzling ball-scratcher decided to vote their patron saint into office. And now we get incompetence extraordinaire.
Trump regrets throwing his red MAGA hat in the ring every day. He hates being president. He craves his cushy nerf-ball life. And he’s salty AF, that’s why he’s never going to do anything compassionate or selfless EVER while he’s in office.
And anyone who continues to support him and VOTE for him is stupid. And I don’t mean that in a childish insulting way. No I mean STUPID. As in “having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense”.
Considering I just had to get tested on Tuesday from slowly going back into the office 3 weeks ago and being exposed to someone that tested positive, this is so not a joke. I don’t have my results back yet, but I’m not symptomatic, therefore I’m hopeful. You don’t get the gravity of it until it hits close to home unfortunately.
I hope you are ok.
I have an elderly relative who is homebound, and was possibly exposed by a home aide whose other client tested positive. The aide was tested five or six days ago and apparently does not have test results yet.
At my workplace, people are traveling this week as if nothing is happening. Our local health experts are encouraging self-quarantine after travel.
It truly has to become personal before some people will pay attention.
Thank you Christin. My main concern is not exposing anyone else. I think we jumped the gun thinking this was like the Bird Flu. My doctor gave me albuterol just in case.
Trump who? I don’t know him…
It’s true, the virus will go away on its own – after all viable hosts are dead.
Has anyone seen the new Campaign video
For Trump? Omg he is going all into full Qanon Conspiracy pandering! My sister and I share tidbits back and forth that people in our community post (the fear of the Trumpsters and their hate has actually brought my sister and I closer). She and I just watched the video Completely dumbfounded. Trump isn’t even trying to hide that he is calling all Que followers in the video. He shows alot of the crap in detail that they believe.
Is this really 2020 or am I in a nightmare. If I still lived on Elm street (did for almost 10 yrs), I would think I was in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie.. Trump resembles Freddie’s burnt tint.
Wish he would just feck off. I don’t even know what else to say at this point. He is utterly useless. He was never adept, never competent, and certainly never compassionate. He just continues to steer the ship that is his country right into the iceberg.
He is such a moron. I feel so bad for my American neighbors to have his as leader. I hope you ALL do the right thing and vote him out. As a Canadian it is painful to watch your closest ally suffer – but we still don’t want the US borders open to Canada because of how out of control it is there.
Every time he talks, I think of the rant Wild Bill Hickok did in Deadwood to Jack McCall at the poker game.
He really is a total moron.
How can anyone in this country support him?
It’s mind blowing.