The "As Long As The Roots Are Not Severed, All Is Well. And All Will Be Well In The Garden." Edition
Ron Steigler: Mr. Gardner, my editors and I have been wondering if you would consider writing a book for us, something about your political philosophy, what do you say?Trump is Chance . . . after Chance undergoes a full lobotomy.
Chauncey Gardner: I can't write.
Steigler: Heh, heh, of course not, who can nowadays? Listen, I have trouble writing a postcard to my children. Look, we can give you a six figure advance, I've provide you with the very best ghost-writer, proof-readers ...
Chauncey: I can't read.
Steigler: Of course you can't! No one has the time! We, we glance at things, we watch television ...
Chauncey: I like to watch TV.
Steigler: Oh, oh, oh, sure you do. No one reads!
Chauncey Gardner was a very stable genius compared to this. https://t.co/IWI0eR5kvQ— digby (@digby56) April 22, 2020
Trump begins the April 22 #TrumpPressConference by hyping that "more states will soon be in a position to safely reopen." What he doesn't mention is that April 21 was the one-day high for coronavirus deaths in the country. pic.twitter.com/Zj0NYavaQO— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
"If you add up the testing of every nation in the world, we have done substantially more than that" -- This is a flabbergasting lie from Trump. The US hasn't done anywhere near that level of testing. (European countries together on their own have done more than the US.) pic.twitter.com/Gkzx8C7Cue— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Dr. Trump at the podium today:— Steve Redmond (@sjredmond) April 22, 2020
“We’ve done so much testing...if you add up all the testing in he rest of the world it doesn’t add up to what we’ve done.”
Fact check:
Add Russia, Germany and Italy together and it adds up to more testing than the US.
Liar!#TrumpPressBriefing
The Trump administration promised that by March 28th – nearly a month ago – there would be over 27 million coronavirus tests conducted in the U.S. It’s April 21st and we haven’t reached 5 million.— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) April 21, 2020
Where are the tests? https://t.co/eOi8O03XYJ
COVID-19 Tests
March 6: 4,000,000 tests promised March 13: 25,200 tests have been given March 21: 27,000,000 tests promised by March 28 (Claim: 10,000,000 tests exist) March 28: 750,000 tests have been given
Trump on testing: "Every day it's growing, and it's growing very substantially." (This is false -- US coronavirus tests completed per day has been largely flat for about a month.) pic.twitter.com/KqN7rPh8df— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
TRUMP: "Ultimately we're doing more testing, I think, than probably any of the governors even want." (There is not a single governor to my knowledge who has expressed satisfaction with the current level of coronavirus testing.) pic.twitter.com/FUcKf5wWso— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
His actual quote: "There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through." https://t.co/npkqw48Mw4— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) April 22, 2020
Here's CDC Director Redfield trying to make a painstaking distinction between "worse" and "complicated" in an effort to walk back comments he made on the record indicating that a second wave of coronavirus this fall could be really bad pic.twitter.com/q9eClOqxkz— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Redfield must eat his words for the Master. Why? Why? Why do they do it?— Sonny Speaks (@FunnySonnyH) April 22, 2020
“The CDC Director is going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, he will disappear”— Bill Johnson (@Bill43111) April 22, 2020
We have no idea how bad #COVIDー19 is right now. He is trying to will it away instead of doing the actual work of using the #DPA to get more tests, swabs and reagent. This isn't like his "business career". You can't claim bankruptcy, get a bailout from your dad, and start over. https://t.co/knx4IcJCJe— Dr. Rob Davidson (@DrRobDavidson) April 22, 2020
I enjoy watching Trump argue with Birx and insisting that the virus isn't, in fact, going to come back.— digby (@digby56) April 22, 2020
"In my opinion it's never coming back the way we've seen it..." Dr. Donald Trump
Just little pockets will go out fast, and it may not come back at all."— digby (@digby56) April 22, 2020
"Little embers ..."
One of our producers notes that for all the talk about the virus *going away* and maybe "returning in the fall," IT IS HERE RIGHT NOW. Nearly 30,000 new cases today and over 2100 Americans have lost their lives *TODAY* to it.— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) April 22, 2020
Why are these idiots talking about it “coming back” when it hasn’t even left?— Lee Spradling (@LeeDSpradling) April 22, 2020
Dr. Fauci pleads for state officials to not "leapfrog things" and to follow the careful guidelines for relaxing social distancing outlined by the task force pic.twitter.com/FPBcpIRoOj— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
FAUCI: "We will have coronavirus in the fall. I am convinced of that. Because of the degree of transmissibility that it has, the global nature. What happens with that will depend on how we're able to contain it when it occurs." pic.twitter.com/Rq6U7ZsEZB— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Here’s the cliff’s notes from today’s #WhiteHouseBriefing in the form of the CNN chyron. #TrumpPressBriefing pic.twitter.com/3kGtmK7qzc— KayBee (@KayBee33369775) April 22, 2020
Now he’s saying he solved the ventilator issue.— will (@dontbeinsane_) April 22, 2020
This chaos mskes me long for his flat reading of self aggrandizing prepared speech— gmleoniak (@gmleoniak1) April 22, 2020
He's really lost it. And you can see how everyone around him cringes. I think he might be staring into the abyss...— grigorovitch (@gregorya57) April 22, 2020
Trump accuses Pelosi of "having a rally in Chinatown" in San Francisco in February, which is another lie. pic.twitter.com/v2jtKUoyE8— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
It was a rally in Chinatown, on a cruise ship, she had a fridge there, it was terrible, very quickly, like a dog.— D David Watts (@bruinfn4lf) April 22, 2020
Fact check: We never posted this video. It’s obviously local TV coverage of the Speaker visiting Chinatown in San Francisco three weeks prior to the shelter-in-place order. https://t.co/sVCqbkD0DF— Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) April 16, 2020
The WH press corps is proving yet again that they aren't up to the challenge of dealing with Trump in these pressers. They sit there as he tells obvious lies then let him drone on as he tells more lies. Why doesn't anyone stand up and tell Trump to stop his BS to his face? Crazy.— David Thompson (@davidthompsonLA) April 22, 2020
It was barely a week ago that Trump claimed he has "total authority" https://t.co/lRgnV4yjW6— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
TRUMP: "On July 4, we will be doing what we had at the Mall. As you know, we're gonna be doing it. Last year was a tremendous success and I would imagine we'll do it, hopefully I can use the term 'forever.' That was a great success, as you remember." pic.twitter.com/VecXPKIVkW— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
So far— Parker (@parkertron) April 22, 2020
Incredible x 9
Tremendous x 8
Fantastic x 5
Unbelievable x 2
Amazing x 1
Terrific x 1
Trump still hasn't figured out that the 1918 flu pandemic didn't happen in 1917. Some of his signature falsehoods are just completely impervious to correction. pic.twitter.com/dbZFdo6nJm— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump suggests a number of public health experts don't think a massive increase in coronavirus testing is necessary for the US to safely reopen businesses, which I've seen no evidence of. (This talking point serves the purpose of making that viewpoint seem like a reasonable one.) pic.twitter.com/DEic2TjYCp— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump's past tense economic boasts don't have the same juice as they did when they were present tense boasts pic.twitter.com/9Z4YiW7eZN— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
The first mention of the coronavirus death toll comes from Pence, who says, "there have been more than 843,000 who have contracted the coronavirus and we grieve the loss of 47,000 of our countrymen." pic.twitter.com/URKIf80v48— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
"The flu is not the greatest thing in the world."— jack walker (@JacksonJWalker) April 22, 2020
"If you have them come at the same time (flu + coronavirus) you'll have them both... That's not gonna be pleasant."
Does Donald Trump employ Mayor Quimby's speech writer?#WhiteHouseBriefing #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/UZ3sqgWQod
Trump says he has never heard of Dr. Rick Bright, the HHS coronavirus official who says he was pushed out because of his resistance to Trump's hydroxychloroquine push pic.twitter.com/Ep7uBk9BHP— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Add to Rick to this list https://t.co/EHDvk1hKLD https://t.co/JBZAq30Jy8— President “Vivor and certain Sparkle” (@realworldrj) April 22, 2020
Here's Trump comparing the crowd he got for his speech last July 4th to crowds MLK used to get for his speeches pic.twitter.com/rwaO0YPj4G— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
It's the second day in a row Trump has ordered CBS's Weijia Jiang, in a condescending voice, to be nice and "keep it down". When he asks these women (they are 95% women) "Who are you with?", I wish just one of them would tell him "That's irrelevant" or "I'm asking the question here, sir". FFS. Stop playing by the bully's rules."Just, nice and easy" -- Trump preemptively tries to calm down @weijia before she asks him about testing shortfalls. pic.twitter.com/u8zZtLGgVN— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
I love that she used the “what do you have to lose” line on him.— Emma Amborn (@iamemmakate) April 22, 2020
I see it now. He is afraid of her. Straight scared shitless. Keep doing what you do Weijia.— Daniel (@Gh0stWrecker) April 22, 2020
TRUMP: "We're taking very special care of our nursing homes and our seniors, other than me. Nobody wants to take care of me. Other than me we're taking care of our seniors." pic.twitter.com/uJlvGsmmMk— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
We've reached the open mic portion of today's press briefing pic.twitter.com/0GinxiQgWp— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
"Well shoot 'em out of the water" -- Trump takes the daily question from ultra-sycophantic OAN and uses it as an opportunity to talk like a tough guy about Iran pic.twitter.com/tE2MH87t9T— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
— 𝕋𝔸𝕄𝕄𝕐 ✨ (@itsprkles) April 22, 2020
— Dr Stonk (@oweng69) April 22, 2020
Asked to say more about his disagreement with Gov. Kemp about his move to reopen businesses, Trump changes the topic to talking about how Kemp's victory represented a win in his proxy war against the Obamas pic.twitter.com/w1DEJzkSVk— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
He clearly forgot who the “superstar” he helped Kemp defeat was, referring to Stacey Abrams as “him.”— Matt Tierney (@MattTierney53) April 22, 2020
It’s astonishing how he’s got any approval ratings at all— Just the facts (@EzekielBourne) April 22, 2020
He setting up an excuse when people get sick in Georgia. They warned him it was going to go bad down there. So his first instinct us to cover his own ass— Joe Benedett (@JoeBenedett) April 22, 2020
"Just a wise guy question, that's all" -- Trump demeans a reporter who dared to ask about public statements the surgeon general made a couple months ago recommending against wearing masks pic.twitter.com/mkYH7vBGeN— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
"Have you studied him? Have you reported on him?" -- Trump takes umbrage after @weijia describes Dr. Bright, the HHS official who says he was ousted after he resisted Trump's hydroxychloroquine push, as "gifted" pic.twitter.com/tlSCQuBTQj— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump: Why do you say he has great gifts? Do you know him? Have you reviewed him? Have you studied him?— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) April 22, 2020
Reporter: He worked his entire career developing vaccines
Trump: That doesn’t mean he has gifts. I know a lot of people who play baseball who can’t hit 150 pic.twitter.com/ku34NNGXta
Trump reacts to @maggieNYT scoop, Dr. Bright claim that he was pushed out because he was hesitant on pushing hydroxychloroquine as a remedy:— Eli Stokols (@EliStokols) April 22, 2020
"I've never heard of him. Guy says he was pushed out of a job, maybe he was, maybe he wasn't."
If Trump knows nothing about Dr. Bright, then who gave the approval to move & demote him?— KA De Chick (@katmac205) April 23, 2020
Trump can't stand hearing any one referred to as gifted or bright. Everything's about him and it injures his ego that he is not the one receiving the accolades. He is so pathetically insecure.— Ruami Grey (@RuamiGrey) April 22, 2020
I present to you the most fragile ego on this planet.— Palm (@PalmQuick) April 22, 2020
Trump describes these press briefings that are ostensibly about a deadly pandemic as "fun" but quickly gets back on messages and tries to reframe things as being all about finding "solutions" to the coronavirus pic.twitter.com/H1V0ZALDrB— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
“Fun” is always the first word that comes to my mind when I think about a pandemic. 🙄— NotafanofTrump 🌊 (@ducksinmypool) April 22, 2020
TRUMP: "They like to [compare this to] 'the flu.' Nobody has ever seen anything like this. 1917 was the last time. We were attacked." (Trump himself has compared coronavirus to the flu and the pandemic he's referencing happened in 1918, not 1917.) pic.twitter.com/tAlVYaG11D— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Trump closes the briefing by restating his lie that the US has done more coronavirus than "all those nations put together." pic.twitter.com/brFmkxf5S3— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
The final tally was— Parker (@parkertron) April 22, 2020
Incredible x 19
Tremendous x 14
Fantastic x 9
Unbelievable x 2
Amazing x 1
Terrific x 2
Magnificent x 2
— Kim Hamilton (@KimHamiltonUSA) April 23, 2020
— Joey Webster (@jwebster83) April 19, 2020
Digging Mass Graves Behind The White House?
Here's Trump blaming China for US coronavirus deaths, followed immediately by him hyping that "we're opening again." (There were more American coronavirus deaths on Tuesday than any previous day.) pic.twitter.com/pteljkog2i— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Blaming China continues to amaze me.— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) April 22, 2020
The man who says he alone can fix it, couldn’t stop another country from killing 45,000 Americans.
“I, the all powerful trump, creator of all things beautiful and tremendous... I am the only one who can save America... except from China.”
The event ends with Trump and Melania shoveling dirt pic.twitter.com/c2ZIfXgaKq— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Watching them shoveling dirt into a hole, with loyal helpers, has a whole different meaning for me these days.— Michael Ornstein (@swimdeep) April 22, 2020
Serious Scandals Pass By Unnoticed
Remember when Trump used his daily propaganda briefing to hawk hydrochloroquine, resulting in several deaths and possibly his own personal enrichment, then when it failed as a therapeutic he and his disinformation army just stopped talking about it and everyone moved on?— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) April 20, 2020
That Trump encouraged people to take a potentially deadly drug, depriving those who actually need it of treatment for their potentially deadly ailments, all without disclosing his family finances, is a stunning scandal. No one in power made a stink. Everyone just moved on. https://t.co/YKA3h2Ak7y— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) April 21, 2020
"I also resisted efforts to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections… [The HHS IG should] investigate the manner in which this Administration has… pressured me and other conscientious scientists to fund companies with political connections."— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) April 22, 2020
Breaking News: Study of 360 patients found out that Hydoroxychloroquine has NO BENEFIT. Patients group that got the medicine had a higher death rate.— Tosin Ash.💧 (@Tosyneno) April 21, 2020
Dr Trump = Dr Death.
“Rigas has told colleagues that he questions the constitutionality of the 1883 Pendleton Act, which codifies using merit to pick government officials, and believes that all executive branch employees should be political appointees...” https://t.co/2bINvMKl30— Daniel Quinn (@ruelallemand) April 22, 2020
A Different Form Of Gambling
This thread is bonkers. The mayor of Las Vegas wants to open the city, but won’t say what should be open, how it should be opened, or how she’ll protect her constituents and businesses from illness.— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 22, 2020
I’m so worried for everyone who lives there. https://t.co/aV42BlzQ8s
"It's a responsibility of each one of us as a human being and part of the civilized world to know when we're sick" -- @mayoroflasvegas Carolyn Goodman has no clue that coronavirus is spread by asymptomatic people pic.twitter.com/w1EQ2WTBDr— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
“We’ve had viruses for years” — Las Vegas mayor Goodman is completely oblivious to the reality that coronavirus is mainly a public health crisis & not just a business problem. It’s amazing people like this get elected to positions of great responsibility. pic.twitter.com/KdA0s21Bey— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Anderson Cooper rubbing his eyes in disbelief here is a big mood pic.twitter.com/vek8vmlsGD— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
Fox News's lead story at 4 o'clock is hyping anti-stay-at-home protests pic.twitter.com/PR16155S0z— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 22, 2020
The thirst for a school shooting must be getting the better of them.— Michael Kennedy 🇨🇦 UBI NOW (@NL_mjk) April 22, 2020
Why are they wearing masks if they don't think the virus is real or that god will protect them?— Benjamin 🧢 (@BoxyM3) April 22, 2020
Milwaukee health officials said they had identified at least seven people who contracted the coronavirus from participating in Election Day on April 7, which was held despite a stay-at-home order issued throughout the state https://t.co/UCKhg3AdWO— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) April 22, 2020
"If we had a shutdown when we first asked for a shutdown, we could have saved some lives" — sheriff of Iowa county where officials sought a meatpacking plant closure amid virus outbreak. The governor declined; Tyson kept it open a week before shutting it https://t.co/e9R80kADSv— Amy Fiscus (@amyfiscus) April 22, 2020
NEW: Two big antibody studies in California — Santa Clara and Los Angeles County — are making waves with their estimates that there are way more coronavirus infections than we thought.— Stephanie M. Lee (@stephaniemlee) April 22, 2020
But scientists are skeptical, for LOTS of reasons. I dive into it all: https://t.co/hk3LbgE3jB
The City Should Have Known: Trump Never Pays His Bills (That's Why He's Been Sued Thousands Of Times)
El Paso mayor says city officials should probably consider suing Trump’s campaign to recoup $470,000 in security and other costs for a Trump rally in February 2019, @nachoaguilar reports.https://t.co/2xCBlSYxnu— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 22, 2020
Etc.
President Trump just now repeated something he has been saying for weeks which is that he sees light at the end of the tunnel.— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) April 21, 2020
Today he said: "I see light at the end of the tunnel. I actually see a lot of light at the end of the tunnel."
President Trump on the coronavirus possibly having a second wave after re-openings: "I really believe we will be able to put out the fires. It's like fires. And we've learned a lot."— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) April 21, 2020
I feel so much safer now."A cotton swab is a little more sophisticated than a Q-Tip." - Donald Trump, President of the United States#CoronavirusLiar #WhiteHouseBriefing— Everyday Human (@InequalityInc) April 16, 2020
1 comment:
I appreciate the Orwell reference. To call these times Orwellian barely makes a dent.
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