- A local reporter in New York, Kevin Vesey, went to cover a “re-opening” rally. He was accosted by the crowd and attacked as “fake news.” Specifically, they complained he was not airing Trump briefings, has a liberal agenda, and is an “enemy of the people.” This was directed towards a local beat reporter who was literally there so their story would be made public. The president has now tweeted his support of the protesters four times.
- The Inspector General Trump fired (technically he is in the process of being fired) at the State Department was investigating Mike Pompeo for using State Department staff to run personal errands. Pompeo did the same thing while CIA director. Trump said he was fine using government employees to carry out personal tasks for Pompeo because sometimes his wife might not be there to do his dishes. This Inspector General was also investigating Pompeo’s approval of a Saudi arms sale. The president has now publicly said he didn’t know anything about the IG and is firing him at Pompeo’s request. Notably, the president is required to provide justification for the firing to Congress. He informed Speaker Pelosi that he had “lost confidence” in Linick. This was before claiming he had never heard of him.
- The president announced he’s been taking hydroxychloroquine for 10 days, which coincides with the date Pence Staffer Katie Miller tested positive. A recent VA study showed that using hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 resulted in doubling the fatality rate. When asked about this study and why he thought the drug would have act as a preventative, the president said it was “very unscientific” and he thought it would work because he received “a lot of positive [phone] calls” about the drug. He oddly went on a tangent about passing the VA Choice program. He lies about this constantly. Obama signed the law. After Neil Cavuto urged viewers not to listen to the president or risk death, the president retweeted several accounts attacking Cavuto, including conspiracy theorist Wayne Allyn Root who said the drug works when taken with zinc. His Tweet storm included a Tweet from a Trump critic criticizing Laura Ingraham’s support for the drug. The president either did not understand or didn’t notice what he was posting. This is not unusual.
- In his attack on Cavuto, the president lamented the loss of “the great Roger Ailes.” Ailes resigned from Fox News in disgrace after decades of sexual harassment.
