The US 2020 Presidential Election

[Albany Rifles]

Latest updates....

He appeared at fundraiser at his golf course yesterday showing cold-like symptoms....where no one took any precautions.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/10...rsey-golf-club

[TopHatter]

‘This is the worst nightmare for the Trump campaign’

Donald Trump had done everything possible to shift the focus of the presidential campaign away from his handling of the coronavirus.

His own infection nowensures that he can’t – pulling Trump off the road 32 days before the election, throwing debates into question and fixing the public attention’s more squarely than ever on a pandemic dragging down hisprospects for a second term.

A president who once seemed impervious to October surprises is suddenly confronting one big enough to alter the outcome of the election.
“The campaign as we knew it is over,” said Andrew Feldman, a Democratic strategist in Washington. “This is the worst nightmare for the Trump campaign.”

Practically speaking, Trump’s announcement early Friday that he tested positive for the coronavirus will immediately remove him from in-person campaigning, though for how long is unclear. Sean Conley, Trump's physician, said in a memo that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive, “plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,” and the White House removed a planned campaign rally on Friday night in Florida from Trump’s daily schedule.

Trump’s inability to hold rallies, even for a brief period, will hobble a campaign that has defined itself by its large, in-person gatherings, even during the pandemic. The second presidential debate, now scheduled for Oct. 15, is in doubt. And Trump’s positive test will heighten scrutiny of the vice presidential debate scheduled for next week.

Officials with the Commission on Presidential Debates declined to comment on what the president’s diagnosis means for the schedule and format of upcoming forums. The second of three scheduled presidential debates is slated for Oct. 15 in Miami.

The more significant problem for Trump is that, now Covid-positive, it will prove almost impossible for him to steer public attention away from his biggest political liability. Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic by a wide margin. And cable news is going wall-to-wall with coverage of that — not U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, mail-in balloting or Trump’s latest outrage.

It is a perilous way to finish the campaign for a candidate already trailing in the polls. In the most conspicuous way imaginable, the positive test publicly undermines so much of Trump’s rhetoric about the virus — from his faith in hydroxychloroquine to his cavalier pronouncements about a vaccine and his dismissal of Covid-19 as a disease that “affects virtually nobody.”

It was just this week, during the first presidential debate, that Trump mocked Biden for his mask-wearing, saying, “Every time you see him, he’s got a mask.”

Trump’s announcement of his positive test undercuts constant GOP criticism of Biden’s decision to limit his own public appearances and choice to cloister for stretches at his home in Delaware. It also diminishes the effectiveness of Republican charges that Biden’s cautious approach to travel is primarily designed to shield the 77-year-old Democratic nominee from public scrutiny.

Trump’s illness, one Republican campaign consultant who worked in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush White Houses predicted, will be viewed as validating “Biden hiding out in [a] bunker for preventative reasons,” and not, as Republicans had maintained, the “onset of dementia.”

Rob Stutzman, a Republican political strategist who has been critical of Trump, described it as a “devastating blow” to the Trump campaign, “the ultimate rebuke to his callous mishandling of Covid.”

The full extent of the political fallout is unclear. If Trump becomes seriously ill,it stands to underscore Democratic arguments about his coronavirus leadership and mar the strong-man image he assiduously cultivates. If the physical consequences are less severe, he might find an opportunity to downplay the seriousness of the disease. An illness could also serve to humanize one of the coarsest presidents in history.

In either scenario, the positive test will put enormous pressure on a White House known for its secrecy, chaotic internal operations and loose relationship with the truth to avoid any misstep or public confusion that could affect the campaign.

There was uncertainty Friday within the president’s political orbit about what this means for his re-election prospects. Some White House aides were eager for the president to go on TV and address the nation.

"Folks are kind of like, ‘What now? What does this mean for what we're trying to do here with 32 days left?‘" said a senior Trump campaign official. "I don't want to say this hit us by surprise because we knew the risks. [Trump] wanted to campaign and be out there with the people, so we tailored the campaign to the president's wishes. This definitely changes our plans, though."

Four years ago this month, Trump weathered both the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape and the Obama administration’s assertionthat Russia was meddling in the election. The implications of those events were widely overestimated.

“Something upends the campaign every day and it is not yet possible to see how this plays out,” said Mathew Littman, a Democratic strategist and former Biden speechwriter. “I hope Trump gets healthy and then loses by a lot. Trump was already in deep trouble in this campaign with no real plan to turn this around.”

But it is also more than that, with potential health, national security and financial implications that will reverberate beyond the campaign. International financial markets were shaken overnight.

“This is a geopolitical event,” Stutzman said. “Our enemies are watching. If he falls gravely ill, the chaos could multiply … If Americans of any political stripe reflect on this news, they should be shaken.”

Trump is overweight and, at 74, at higher risk for severe illness. But Conley said in his memo that Trump and the first lady are “both well at this time." The likelihood, doctors said, is that he will recover.

Robert O'Brien, the president's top aide on foreign policy, returned to the White House in August after a mild case of Covid-19. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro also tested positive – in Bolsonaro’s case, like Trump’s, after long downplaying the virus’ severity.

But even the possibility that Trump might become seriously ill had strategists in both parties discussing the potential implications of succession or the 25th Amendment, under which Trump, if medically incapacitated, could transfer power temporarily to Vice President Mike Pence.

Pence has tested negative for Covid-19, his spokesperson said Friday, hours after the president revealed he had contracted the coronavirus.
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Let's get one thing out of the way first: The possibility that Trump's COVID diagnosis is a hoax, a ruse de guerre from a man that uses "shiny object" distractions to keep the public from concentrating on his many failures, in particular to get him out of the 2 remaining debates that will absolutely not tolerate his usual crackhead behavior. Then there are other considerations:

1. Voter "sandbagging" (why vote if he's dying?)
2. In two weeks he'll pretend he recovered and it wasn't a big deal. (See? It's not that bad!)
3. Look over here forget about my taxes and unabashed support for, and leadership of, white supremacist terrorist groups!
4. A way to resign and save face
5. As mentioned, a way to duck the debates

Naturally we can't trust a single thing coming out of the White House without some kind of independent confirmation. Even "doctor's notes" are suspect, given Trump's doctor playing fast and loose with the truth, and Trump's penchant for outright faking doctor's notes.

So while I have a well known loathing for conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists, I also trust Donald Trump as far as I can throw the White House.

Having said that, it's more than likely that Trump does indeed have COVID-19, is exhibiting only mild symptoms and will likely recover. Which is all the more remarkable given what an unhealthy fat blob of shit he is.

The question is, will this help or hinder his reelection campaign.

[tbm3fan]

The question is, will this help or hinder his reelection campaign.

He will ask for a postponement because he was cheated. Stay tuned...

[JRT]

President Donald Trump Heading To Walter Reed Medical Center, Being Treated For COVID-19 With Experimental Antibody Cocktail

By Stephanie Stahl
October 2, 2020 at 5:42 pm

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — President Donald Trump will be taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for evaluation on Friday night and will be there for the next few days. He is being treated for COVID-19 with an experimental antibody cocktail.

Dr. Sean Conley, the White House doctor, says the president remains fatigued, but in good spirits, and adds First Lady Melania Trump is well with only a mild cough and headache.

The memo says, as a precautionary measure, the president received a single 8-gram dose of Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail, an IV given to boost the immune system.

President Trump was also given zinc, vitamin D, famotidine — an antacid — and also melatonin and aspirin.

Trump sounded congested in a phone interview with Fox News on Thursday night, hours before announcing his positive COVID-19 test results.

The 74-year-old president is at-risk for complications because of his age and being obese.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eight out of ten COVID-19 related deaths in the United States have been among adults 65 and older.

“Most people who have a serious infection tend to be older, but most older people still recover completely from this infection,” Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said.

The White House says the president and first lady have mild symptoms, for which there are no treatments.

“There’s no reason he couldn’t take phone calls or conduct virtual meetings,” said Dr. Eric Sachinwalla, an infectious disease expert at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia.

Sachinwalla says a fever and difficulty breathing are indications the virus is becoming more dangerous and a threat to the lungs.

“We usually see that within the first week,” Sachinwalla said.

The White House is doing contact tracing, especially for people who were on Air Force One, because the virus is more easily spread by people without masks who are in close contact for a period of time.

“From the time when they’re exposed to the time they develop symptoms, it’s about four to six days,” Farley said.

The virus can be spread before symptoms appear, even when tests are negative.

So what about the supporters who were with the president in Bedminster, New Jersey for an event on Thursday and in Harrisburg on Saturday?

“I think the people that were at those events need to potentially be evaluated,” Sachinwalla said.

Anyone who has direct contact with someone with tests positive for COVID-19 is supposed to self-quarantine for 14 days.


.

...

[DOR]

Let's get one thing out of the way first: The possibility that Trump's COVID diagnosis is a hoax, a ruse de guerre from a man that uses "shiny object" distractions to keep the public from concentrating on his many failures, in particular to get him out of the 2 remaining debates that will absolutely not tolerate his usual crackhead behavior. Then there are other considerations:

1. Voter "sandbagging" (why vote if he's dying?)
2. In two weeks he'll pretend he recovered and it wasn't a big deal. (See? It's not that bad!)
3. Look over here forget about my taxes and unabashed support for, and leadership of, white supremacist terrorist groups!
4. A way to resign and save face
5. As mentioned, a way to duck the debates

Naturally we can't trust a single thing coming out of the White House without some kind of independent confirmation. Even "doctor's notes" are suspect, given Trump's doctor playing fast and loose with the truth, and Trump's penchant for outright faking doctor's notes.

So while I have a well known loathing for conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists, I also trust Donald Trump as far as I can throw the White House.

Having said that, it's more than likely that Trump does indeed have COVID-19, is exhibiting only mild symptoms and will likely recover. Which is all the more remarkable given what an unhealthy fat blob of shit he is.

The question is, will this help or hinder his reelection campaign.

Spot on.
Excellent analysis.

The geopolitical commentator seemed to stretch he “danger to the nation” aspect, and the GOPers’ shock — SHOCK, I tell you! — that something everyone knows is just a hoax could lay low the Big Man Himself is priceless.

White House now needs to be empty, for cleaning.

[JRT]

Journalists who work at the White House are testing positive for Covid-19

By Brian Stelter, CNN Business
Updated 5:11 PM EDT, Fri October 02, 2020

New York(CNN Business)A widening coronavirus outbreak at the White House has left members of the media scrambling to find out if they, too, are infected.

Three journalists who work at the White House tested positive on Friday, according to a series of memos from the White House Correspondents Association.

A White House staffer who sits in the "lower press" area of the West Wing also received a confirmed positive result on Friday morning.

Reporters and White House spokespeople work together in cramped quarters, often meeting the definition of close contact.

So there is now widespread concern among White House reporters about who was exposed.

Friday's first memo, obtained by CNN Business, said members of the press corps were being notified "so that you can make informed judgements."

The late morning memo said that "all other journalists tested today tested negative."

A followup message at 1:33 p.m. carried word of another case of a sick journalist.

"We are writing to let you know that another member of our press corps tested positive today for COVID-19," the memo said. "This individual was last at the White House on Saturday and subsequently traveled on Air Force One to Pennsylvania. The individual began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms yesterday."

Trump downplayed Hope Hicks' Covid diagnosis on Fox hours before announcing he also tested positive
Trump downplayed Hope Hicks' Covid diagnosis on Fox hours before announcing he also tested positive
Saturday was the day of the Supreme Court announcement at the White House and President Trump's rally in Pennsylvania. The President announced early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19.

A third memo, at 3:35 p.m., said that a third member of the press corps has tested positive.

The individual was at the White House last Saturday and Sunday, and "began experiencing minor symptoms late Wednesday."

CNN Business has reached out to major news networks and newspapers to ask about precautions they are taking.

A spokesperson for The Washington Post said, "We are working to identify Post journalists who may have come in contact with White House officials recently, to ensure that our colleagues are tested rapidly and fully supported."

A person familiar with the matter at CBS News said the network is contact tracing and following company procedure for testing and quarantining, depending on the possible exposure.

And a spokesperson for NBC News said, "NBC News and MSNBC are following contact tracing guidelines as set forth by the CDC and the NBCUniversal Medical team and some employees will be self-quarantining out of an abundance of caution. We will also continue to follow WHCA guidelines on safely working and reporting from the White House."

The correspondents association said "we can't stress enough the importance of mask-wearing, social distancing and common sense, especially on the White House complex."

"Additionally," the board said, "we are again asking journalists who are not in the pool and do not have an enclosed workspace to refrain from working out of the White House at this time."

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the correspondents association has taken a more proactive position than the Trump administration and has encouraged journalists to take common sense precautions while covering the administration.

.

...

[TopHatter]

Journalists who work at the White House are testing positive for Covid-19

Thom Tillis, Mike Lee, all COVID-positive. I wonder if this is going to be a domino effect, infecting the top tiers of the Republican Party

[TopHatter]

President Donald Trump Heading To Walter Reed Medical Center

Washington Post: “As Trump’s condition deteriorated during the day Friday, the president and his team ultimately made the decision to send him to Walter Reed preemptively — and, from a public relations perspective, when he was still able to walk to Marine One on his own, according to one outside adviser in frequent contact with White House officials. They feared the possibility of a further decline, and what that might mean, both for the president’s health and his political optics.”

[Double Edge]

Wanted to post a twitter video. Board does not allow it. So here is the link.

https://twitter.com/DrMartyFox/statu...65042103611393

This board needs a vbulletin twitter plugin.

Meanwhile i think this statement from back in 2017 should put to rest his views on white supremacists. But it won't, will it : |

[TopHatter]

'Doing very well': Trump White House physician Sean Conley 'extremely happy' with progress

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is "doing very well," the president's physician told reporters on Saturday hours after the president was taken to the hospital after experiencing fever, congestion andsymptoms from coronavirus.

"This morning, the president is doing very well," said Dr. Sean Conley, who said he was "extremely happy" with the president's progress so far.

Doctors said the president had been fever free for over 24 hours and was not on oxygen Saturday but did not answer several questions aboutwhether he had been at any point previously. Trump's medicalteam denied a report Friday that the president was having trouble breathing.

"He’s not on oxygen right now," Conley said, adding that Trump had an oxygen saturation level of 96%, within the normal range for a healthy person.

Doctors monitor oxygen in blood as an indicator of whether there's low oxygen levels, one of the problems that occurs with COVID-19.

Conley said the president developed a fever Thursday and said that doctors were continuing to evaluate when he could return to the White House. Asked why, specifically, he had been transferred to Walter Reed, Conley indicated it was out of an abundance of caution.

"Because he's the president of the United States," Conley said.

Trump, 74, remained at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, on Saturday after he and first lady Melania Trump announced early Friday they had tested positive for COVID-19. White House officials, who initially described the president's case as mild, later said he was experiencing symptoms such as fatigue and fever.

Soon after Trump arrived at the hospital, the White House released a memo from Conley indicating the president was starting remdesivir therapy. Conley said at that time that Trump was "doing very well" and was "resting comfortably."

Trump also received a single 8-gram dose of Regeneron's polyclonal antibody cocktail as a precautionary measure, according to Conley. The antibody cocktail is being studied in four late-stage clinical trials and its safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority, the company said on its page.

The White House has provided some information of the president's condition, including memos from Conley. However, many of the details were unclear late Friday, including the full extent of his symptoms, which test was used to confirm his case and specifically why he was moved to the hospital rather than recovering at the White House.
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Well that's good news at least. He'll survive to face justice for the crimes he's committed.

I'm sure he'll be Marine One'ing back to the White House in no time at all too. Gotta keep up that 8 hour a day TV watching schedule of his.

[TopHatter]

Wanted to post a twitter video. Board does not allow it. So here is the link.This board needs a vbulletin twitter plugin.

I'll put that on the request list, I've wanted to post Twitter vids as well. Unfortunately it might be a vBulletin limitation.

Meanwhile i think this statement from back in 2017 should put to rest his views on white supremacists. But it won't, will it : |

No, it won't. Know why? Because when he's asked in extemperatous situations, he wiffs, he lies, he dances around the issue. Then, after and ONLY after the uproar, does his finally issue firm statements.


Trump Finally Condemns White Supremacists

It took him nearly 48 hours, but Donald Trump finally said (to Sean Hannity): "I condemn the KKK, I condemn all white supremacists, I condemn the Proud Boys. I don't know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing, but I condemn that." That will give Trump supporters something to post to Facebook, and Republican members of Congress something to point to when facing tough questions from reporters. Well, assuming the story doesn't get lost in the tidal wave of COVID-19 diagnosis coverage.

Of course, other than those who are looking for cover in order to vote/support Trump, nobody can take this denunciation seriously. First, because when it comes to condemning white supremacy, anything less than a batting average of 1.000 is a real problem, and the President's batting average is well below .500. Second, if you do swing and miss, and you regret it, it should take you seconds (or maybe minutes) to clean up the error, and not 48 hours. Especially when that 48 hours is chock-full of teeth pulling and arm twisting from your allies and your staffers. Third, and as always, Trump's "denunciation" was accompanied by an even longer postscript about how truly awful Antifa, Black Lives Matter, the Democrats, the radical left, etc., are. In the end, everyone should be very clear where Trump really stands. Certainly the Proud Boys are; they continue to celebrate on social media, and they're now selling "stand back and stand by" merchandise. Well, they're trying, though nearly every online merchant has removed the products. Maybe the Proud Boys can sell it here.
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His record going back decades is clear. His own family knows that he's a racist. Put this shit to bed DE, the man is a RACIST.

[TopHatter]

The October of doom for Republicans
President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis puts a depressing capstone on a hellacious week for the party in power.

Arrogance and ignorance are a toxic combination in politics. This week’s case study: The Trump administration’s inability to showcase basic competence and prudence in the middle of a pandemic has crippled the president’s already hobbled campaign, as time for a miraculous turnaround is expiring.

President Trump, 74, is now hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center with coronavirus, taking a cocktail of therapeutic medicines in hopes of avoiding a worst-case outcome. He will be quarantined from the campaign trail for at least two weeks, serving as a real-life example of the consequences of shamelessly flouting the best medical and public-health guidance from his own government. Worse yet, he’s endangered the health of his colleagues and closest supporters, including well-heeled donors who gathered with him at an exclusive New Jersey fundraiser Thursday, even as he knew he had been exposed to the coronavirus.

In a way, the immediate political implications will be inconsequential. Already trailing Joe Biden badly in the polls, it’s downright implausible that Trump will win any persuadable voters after this week of recklessness. Remember: The week began with news of Trump’s tax avoidance, and nearly ended with controversy over his unwillingness to forthrightly condemn white supremacism. Sandwiched in between was an embarrassing, self-destructive debate performance. Then coronavirus came to the White House.

Will the bottom fall out for Republicans, as it did in polling over the summer as he proved himself unable to control the pandemic? That’s a known unknown, complicated by the uncertainty of the president’s long-term prognosis. It’s possible that Trump could benefit from some obligatory bipartisan sympathy as he recovers from his illness. But for a campaign that isn’t planning to stop its negative attack ads during this national moment of crisis—even as the Biden campaign stood down, showcasing some much-needed empathy—it’s hard to see any groundswell of support boosting the incumbent.

Here’s the reality: The closing theme of the campaign, whatever remains of it, will be centered squarely on the pandemic. That’s one of Trump’s weakest issues, according to public polling, and he will be living proof of his vulnerabilities on that front. Republicans will presumably rush to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the election even though at least three more GOP senators have contracted coronavirus. That will make the proceedings look even more partisan and diminish the well-qualified judge with the political taint of her handlers. One Trump adviser told National Journal that the president’s allies are now desperately looking for scraps of encouraging political news—like latching onto an outlier poll showing the race within 3 points—to build a safe space against the doom-and-gloom reality.

Democrats now need to just get out of their own way. The Biden campaign’s exhortation for staff not to express any candid thoughts on social media is a good summation of what ails the opposition. Just like Biden and running mate Kamala Harris didn’t want to answer whether they support packing the Supreme Court, the campaign doesn’t want the world knowing what their staffers’ true feelings are about the present crisis. It’s a reminder of how the scourge of social media—not everything that you think needs to be shared!—is more of a curse than a blessing, even in more-normal political times. But it’s also why Biden has been the ideal Democratic candidate for this unique moment. The famously impulsive politician has become, thanks to his old-school nature, resistant to the ideological fads and Twitter-driven insanity that plague so much of our politics right now.

Despite all the chaos, the trajectory of the race is unlikely to change significantly in the final few weeks. The biggest consequence of the October of Doom will be that it’s getting even tougher for battleground-state Senate Republicans who have latched themselves to Trump to sound like credible messengers in this moment of crisis. Senate Republicans have a path to maintain a narrow majority, but a worst-case outlook where they lose most of the competitive races is now looking more plausible.

Sign of the times: In the bellwether North Carolina race that may determine the Senate majority, Sen. Thom Tillis tested positive for coronavirus on Friday and Democratic opponent Cal Cunningham admitted to an extramarital affair later the same day. Pick your poison in November.
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[Double Edge]

Will reply as i get time. This one

NAMES. What are the NAMES. Vague references to "discrepancies" are bullshit.

Had to re-listen to Segment 6 to recall. Trump mentioned Carolyn Maloney. Look at her race he says.

The other candidate is Shiva Ayadurai who lost gave an interview here.

Who's from Massachusetts here ?

is this going to be a pattern now. Every losing republican candiate is going to use this line ?

The reason this talk bugs me is you are doing Moscow & Beijing a favour because they can never top a President questioning the legitimacy of the process.

Counter view is there is recourse. Challenge it. Stand up and do it. System allows for it and has remedies.

I've been hearing this talk for the last ten years in my country and i've thoroughly pissed off both camps with my position on it.

The losing party says fraud, never challenges but should they win in a later race accepts the result (!)

[TopHatter]

Doctors say Trump is improving and could return to the White House on Monday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's condition is improving as he is being treated for COVID-19 at a military hospital, and he could return to the White House as early as Monday, the doctors leading his treatment said on Sunday.

That word came the day after a series of contradictory messages from the White House about Trump's conditions caused widespread confusion about his health.

"The patient continues to improve. He has remained without fever since Friday morning, his vital signs are stable," Dr. Sean Dooley told reporters at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Trump has been receiving treatment since Friday.

Trump released a four-minute video on Saturday in which he said the "real test" of his condition will come over the next few days.

"Over the next period of a few days, I guess that's the real test, so we'll be seeing what happens over those next couple of days," Trump said into the camera, looking tired and wearing a jacket and open-necked shirt.

Trump's illness has upended the campaign ahead of the November presidential election and cast a spotlight on the president's handling of the pandemic. The Republican president is trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden in opinion polls.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Sunday found that Biden had opened a 10 point lead over Trump nationally, slightly wider than it has been for the past two months. Some 65% of Americans said Trump likely would not have been infected had he taken the virus more seriously -- a view that half of registered Republicans polled supported. Some 55% said they did not believe Trump had been telling the truth about the virus.

Trump's campaign vowed that Vice President Mike Pence, who would assume the presidency if Trump were unable to carry out his duties, would have an "aggressive" campaign schedule this week, as would Trump's three oldest children.

"We can't stay in our basement or shut down the economy indefinitely. We have to take it head-on," Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

Trump has repeatedly played down the threat of the pandemic, even as it has killed more than 208,000 Americans and hammered the U.S. economy.

CONDITION UNCLEAR
Differing assessments of Trump's health from administration officials on Saturday left it unclear how ill the president had become since he tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday night.

A White House team of doctors said on Saturday morning Trump's condition was improving and that he was already talking about returning to the White House.

Within minutes, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows gave reporters a less rosy assessment, saying, "The president's vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We're still not on a clear path to a full recovery."

Meadows, whose initial comments were delivered on condition that he not be identified, altered his tone hours later, telling Reuters that Trump was doing "very well" and that "doctors are very pleased with his vital signs."

Meadows did not clarify the discrepancy in his comments. A Trump adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity said the president was not happy to learn of Meadows' initial remarks.

However in an interview with Fox News broadcast Saturday night, Meadows revealed that Trump's condition on Friday was far worse than officials had made public, saying doctors recommended the president go to the hospital after seeing he had a fever and his blood oxygen level dropped rapidly.

White House doctor Sean P. Conley told reporters outside the hospital on Saturday that Trump had not had trouble breathing, and was not given oxygen at Walter Reed.

He declined to give a timetable for Trump's possible release from the hospital, and later had to issue a statement saying he misspoke after appearing to suggest Trump had been diagnosed as early as Wednesday.

In a statement on Saturday evening, Conley said the president was "not yet out of the woods" but his team remained cautiously optimistic.

CAMPAIGN RESHAPED
With Trump off the campaign trail indefinitely, his campaign announced "Operation MAGA," based on his slogan "Make America Great Again," which will see high-profile allies including Pence and Trump's elder sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, take over in-person campaigning this week.

Pence, who tested negative on Friday, is scheduled to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Wednesday.

Biden, who largely avoided direct criticism of Trump during a campaign trip to Michigan on Friday, took a more aggressive tone on Saturday while speaking to a transit workers' union, even as he wished the president well.

"I'm in a little bit of a spot here, because I don't want to be attacking the president and the first lady now," Biden said, adding he hoped Trump and his wife Melania, who also has the illness, make a full recovery.

But he quickly turned to Trump's response to the pandemic, calling it "unconscionable" and blasting Trump's comment in an interview this summer that "it is what it is" when asked about the death toll.

Biden, who tested negative on Friday, told reporters he would next be tested on Sunday. His campaign will begin releasing the results of each test, a spokesman said.

Conley said Trump had received the first two doses of a five-day course of Remdesivir, an intravenous antiviral drug sold by Gilead Sciences Inc that has been shown to shorten hospital stays.

He is also taking an experimental treatment, Regeneron's REGN-COV2, as well as zinc, Vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and aspirin, Conley has said.

A number of other prominent Republicans have also tested positive for coronavirus since Trump's announcement, including Republican senators Mike Lee, Thom Tillis and Ron Johnson, former White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
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If Trump does return to the White House Monday (or Tuesday, to give them a little cushion), then it'll be the first time that we've gotten straight information on the situation.

[TopHatter]

Trump Leaves Hospital to Ride By Supporters

President Trump, wearing a mask, left Walter Reed Medical Center in the back of a suburban to ride by supporters, CNN reports.

NBC News reports pool reporters were not notified of a presidential movement, which is incredibly rare.

Dr. James Phillips, a Walter Reed attending physician: “That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play.”

Trump announced his “surprise visit” on a video.

Edit: For fuck's sake, he was just doing a parade for his supporters.