- Several Republican congressmen and the White House are saying they don’t want to pass further individual aid or extend unemployment relief. They would prefer workers return to work, but if they get sick they’re seeking to make sure businesses are not liable. In short, the GOP wants people returning to work regardless of their chances of catching the virus. This continues their strategy of addressing the pandemic by pretending it is over.
- A New York Times piece details the difficulty in briefing the president. Echoing other reports over his tenure, the column details his short attention span and his habit of challenging information from the intelligence community with things he has heard on Fox News or from personal friends. The president has often claimed no one could know a pandemic like this could happen despite being briefed on its potential severity numerous times. He simply was not paying attention.
- Trump is pulling out of the Open Skies Treaty which allows countries to monitor each other for military movements. Former CIA director Michael Hayden simply called the withdrawal “insane.”
- Asked why he refused to wear a mask at a tour of Ford Plant (he had one on part of the time), the president said he didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing him wear one. Michigan’s attorney general Dana Nessel criticized the president for his refusal which naturally led to Trump attack her, calling her angry, stupid, and “wacky.”
- While at the plant he bizarrely praised Henry Ford’s “bloodlines.” Trump has often brought up the idea that intelligence is genetic. It is not. Henry For was virulently anti-Semitic and a Nazi sympathizer. Hitler actually praised Ford in Mein Kampf and mentioned adopting some of his ideas. At the Ford Plant Trump once again talked about being awarded “Man of the Year” in Michigan. This is a frequent lie. It never happened.
- On a party line vote, John Ratcliffe has been confirmed as the Director of National Intelligence. By statute the DNI must have signfigant intelligence experience. Ratcliffe has zero intelligence experience, though he did lie about having some on his resume which is why his name was withdrawn from the nomination initially.
- Mike Pompeo allegedly used State Department employees to move his mother-in-law in Louisiana. Pompeo asked Trump to fire the Inspector General who was investigating him. Trump obliged. Pompeo has been meeting with large political donors while exploring possible Senate or presidential runs. His wife has been gathering contact info at these events which are paid for by taxpayers.
