From me and Joan E Greve:
-
Fires are raging across the west. More than 85 significant wildfires are burning across the region. In California, high, dry winds stoked dozens of out-of-control blazes that have forced helicopter rescues and evacuations. In Washington, more acres burned in a single day than firefighters usually see all year, and the fires scorched farming town of Malden. Fires also forced people to flee in Oregon and Idaho.
- Mike Pence and officials from Donald Trump’s campaign are expected to attend a a fundraiser hosted by a couple that subscribe to the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory. The event is scheduled to take place in Montana. Hosts Caryn and Michael Borland shared QAnon memes and posts on their social media.
- Trump acknowledged in March that he was trying to downplay the threat of coronavirus, according to a new book from Bob Woodward. The president told the journalist earlier this year, “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.” Trump also acknowledged coronavirus was “deadly” and airborne as early as February, while publicly saying the virus would “disappear”.
- Reacting to Woodward’s book, Trump said he “perhaps” misled the country about coronavirus to avoid creating panic. When asked whether he had misled the American public, the president said this afternoon, “Well, I think if you said in order to reduce panic, perhaps that’s so. The fact is, I’m a cheerleader for this country. I love our country and I don’t want people to be frightened. I don’t want to create panic.”
- Biden accused Trump of betraying the country by downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic. Delivering a speech in Warren, Michigan, the Democratic nominee said, “He had the information. He knew how dangerous it was. He failed to do his job on purpose ... It was a life and death betrayal of the American people.”
- A senior DHS official claimed he was told to stop providing intelligence assessments of Russian election interference. In a new whistleblower complaint, Brian Murphy, the former acting DHS undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, said he was told an “intelligence notification” regarding Russian disinformation should be “held” because it “made the President look bad”. The House intelligence committee has called on Murphy to testify about the allegations later this month.
- Trump released his list of potential future supreme court nominees. The list included three Republican senators: Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz. But Hawley and Cruz quickly signaled they did not plan to leave the Senate anytime soon.
Updated
Iowa’s governor, Kim Reynolds, is refusing to enforce a White House coronavirus taskforce recommendation to close bars and require people to wear masks after Covid-19 infections in some of the state’s cities surged.
Meanwhile, coronavirus cases have risen sharply across the whole midwest in recent weeks, putting the region at the forefront of America’s pandemic. The region accounted for six of the eight states with the highest number of new Covid-19 cases by early September even as infections fell in other parts of the US previously among the worst hit.
North Dakota has the largest number of positive cases per capita in the country over the past 14 days. Iowa and South Dakota are enduring the highest percentage increases. Missouri has seen more than 1,300 new cases a day on average over the past week.
In Iowa, the increase was centered on university towns following the return of students to classes. By late August, two of the state’s cities, Ames and Iowa City, were enduring the worst coronavirus surges in the country. The per capita infection rates were higher than any individual country.
Amid warnings that the failure to enforce masks and social distancing was likely to cost hundreds of additional lives in the coming months, the White House taskforce said in a report on 31 August that bars “must be closed” in 61 of Iowa’s 99 counties and seating in restaurants should be limited. It also recommended restrictions on the size of gatherings in the worst-hit counties, along with the closure of gyms.
Updated
Jessica Krug, the George Washington University professor who made headlines around the world after confessing she was in fact a white woman from Kansas City despite having claimed she was Black has resigned, according to the university.
“Dr Krug has resigned her position, effective immediately. Her classes for this semester will be taught by other faculty members, and students in those courses will receive additional information this week,” noted the university in a statement issued Wednesday.
Last week, the university announced it had cancelled classes taught by Krug. Her colleagues in the history department had called on her to step down from her post, saying they were “shocked and appalled by Dr Jessica Krug’s admission on September 3, 2020, that she has lied about her identity for her entire career”.
In a Medium essay, Krug said she claimed identities “that I had no right to claim: first North African Blackness, then US rooted Blackness, then Caribbean rooted Bronx Blackness”.
Updated
Meanwhile, fires are raging across the west
Large, fast-moving fires raged on across the American west on Wednesday, destroying hundreds of homes in the Pacific north-west and sending a dense plume of smoke that turned skies amber across parts of the region.
More than 85 significant wildfires are burning across the west. In California, high, dry winds stoked dozens of out-of-control blazes that have forced helicopter rescues and evacuations. In Washington, more acres burned in a single day than firefighters usually see all year, and the fires scorched farming town of Malden. Fires also forced people to flee in Oregon and Idaho.
“The geographic scale and intensity of what is transpiring is truly jarring,” wrote Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“What’s remarkable is that there’s so many fires,” said Chris Field, who directs the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. “Even as someone whose job is to understand what’s happening, it’s really hard to keep up.”
From the Associated Press:
Mike Pence and top officials from Donald Trump’s campaign are slated to attend a Montana fundraiser next week hosted by a couple who have expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, according to an event invitation obtained by the Associated Press and a review of social media postings.
The hosts of the fundraiser, Caryn and Michael Borland, have shared QAnon memes and retweeted posts from QAnon accounts, their social media activity shows. The baseless conspiracy theory posits that Trump is fighting entrenched enemies in the government and also involves satanism and child sex trafficking.
Beyond the vice-president, the 14 September fundraiser in Bozeman, Montana, is expected to draw influential figures in the president’s orbit including Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top Trump fundraising official who is dating Donald Trump Jr, the GOP chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee finance chairman. Todd Ricketts, and the RNC co-chairman Tommy Hicks Jr, the event invitation shows.
While many Republicans have dismissed QAnon, the fundraiser is another sign of how the conspiracy theory is gaining a foothold in the party. Trump has hailed the Georgia congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene, another QAnon supporter, as a “future Republican star”. The president has refused to condemn QAnon, recently telling reporters that the conspiracy theory is “gaining in popularity” and that its supporters “like me very much”.
Poll: Slight shift away from Biden in Kenosha in wake of protests
A poll of voters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, from Marquette Law School found that while Joe Biden still leads Donald Trump by four points, the Democratic candidate’s support is slipping slightly in the wake of protests against police brutality and a deadly shooting.
The police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black 29-year-old father, sparked widespread protests in Kenosha. Amid demonstrations, a white Trump supporter was charged with shooting two men and injuring another.
Updated
A health official hired by a Donald Trump appointee has been working to prevent Dr Anthony Fauci from talking about dangers that Covid-19 poses to children, Politico reported on Wednesday.
The attempts by Dr Paul Alexander – who serves as a senior adviser to Michael Caputo, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) assistant public affairs secretary – were described in emails obtained by Politico.
Alexander reportedly told media liaisons at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) about what Fauci should discuss during interviews. Alexander opined on Fauci’s possible responses to inquiries from publications such as Bloomberg News, HuffPost and BuzzFeed.
“I continue to have an issue with kids getting tested and repeatedly and even university students in a widespread manner … and I disagree with Dr Fauci on this. Vehemently,” Alexander wrote in a 27 August email, in response to a press office rundown of Fauci’s planned remarks to Bloomberg.
In an email Tuesday, Alexander also told Fauci’s spokesperson that he should not advocate mask-wearing by children in a planned MSNBC sit-down.
“Can you ensure Dr Fauci indicates masks are for the teachers in schools. Not for children,” Alexander reportedly said in this email. “There is no data, none, zero, across the entire world, that shows children, especially young children, spread this virus to other children, or to adults or to their teachers. None. And if it did occur, the risk is essentially zero.”
Updated
The White House coronavirus adviser Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday that AstraZeneca’s decision to pause global trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine was “unfortunate” – but not an uncommon safety precaution in a vaccine development process.
The UK drugmaker AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had voluntarily paused trials, including late-stage ones, after an unexplained illness in a participant.
The company said it was working to expedite a review of safety data by an independent committee to minimize any potential impact on the trial timeline.
“This particular candidate from the AstraZeneca company had a serious adverse event, which means you put the rest of the enrollment of individual volunteers on hold until you can work out precisely what went on,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the top public health expert on the coronavirus, said in an interview with CBS News on Wednesday morning.
“It’s really one of the safety valves that you have on clinical trials such as this, so it’s unfortunate that it happened,” Fauci added. “Hopefully, they’ll work it out and be able to proceed along with the remainder of the trial but you don’t know. They need to investigate it further.”
The vaccine, which AstraZeneca is developing with the University of Oxford, has been described by the World Health Organization as probably the world’s leading candidate and the most advanced in terms of development.
Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University school of public health said via Twitter that the significance of the interruption was unclear.
“We have no idea whether this is a big deal or not. Science is hard. This is why we have to let the trials play out. I remain optimistic we will have a vaccine found to be safe and effective in upcoming months,” he said, but cautioned: “Optimism isn’t evidence. Let’s let science drive this process.”
Today so far
That’s it from me on this very newsy Wednesday. My west coast colleague Maanvi Singh will take over for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Trump acknowledged in March that he was trying to downplay the threat of coronavirus, according to a new book from Bob Woodward. The president told the journalist earlier this year, “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.” Trump also acknowledged coronavirus was “deadly” and airborne as early as February, while publicly saying the virus would “disappear”.
- Reacting to Woodward’s book, Trump said he “perhaps” misled the country about coronavirus to avoid creating panic. When asked whether he had misled the American public, the president said this afternoon, “Well, I think if you said in order to reduce panic, perhaps that’s so. The fact is, I’m a cheerleader for this country. I love our country and I don’t want people to be frightened. I don’t want to create panic.”
- Biden accused Trump of betraying the country by downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic. Delivering a speech in Warren, Michigan, the Democratic nominee said, “He had the information. He knew how dangerous it was. He failed to do his job on purpose ... It was a life and death betrayal of the American people.”
- A senior DHS official claimed he was told to stop providing intelligence assessments of Russian election interference. In a new whistleblower complaint, Brian Murphy, the former acting DHS undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, said he was told an “intelligence notification” regarding Russian disinformation should be “held” because it “made the President look bad”. The House intelligence committee has called on Murphy to testify about the allegations later this month.
- Trump released his list of potential future supreme court nominees. The list included three Republican senators: Tom Cotton, Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz. But Hawley and Cruz quickly signaled they did not plan to leave the Senate anytime soon.
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated
The Guardian’s Sam Levine reports:
A government watchdog group asked North Carolina officials to investigate a report that Louis DeJoy, the postmaster general, pressured his employees in the private sector to donate to Republican candidates and then reimbursed them through his company.
The complaint, filed by the North Carolina chapter of Common Cause, came after former employees of DeJoy’s logistics company, New Breed Logistics, told the Washington Post DeJoy would push them to write checks or attend Republican fundraisers.
DeJoy would subsequently increase bonus payments to make up for those contributions. A DeJoy spokesman did not directly address whether DeJoy had made such arrangements to the Post, but said DeJoy had not run afoul of campaign finance laws.
In a filing with the North Carolina State Board of Elections, lawyers for Common Cause noted the state sets a $5,100 maximum individual donation limit and prohibits donors from giving money either anonymously or under someone else’s name.
The group asked North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, to launch a similar investigation.
“Our state’s campaign finance laws are designed to protect the fundamental integrity of our elections and guard against undue influence by self-serving mega donors and special interests,” Bob Phillips, the executive director of Common Cause North Carolina.
“Violations of these laws undermine public trust in our democracy and must be treated with the utmost seriousness. No one is above the law, no matter the size of their bank account.”
DeJoy, a major Republican donor, was appointed postmaster general by the USPS board of governors earlier this year, despite having no prior experience at the agency. A former governor told Congress last month that DeJoy did not appear to be a serious candidate for the job and struggled to answer questions about the position.
He has faced loud calls for his resignation after reports of widespread mail delays across the country. DeJoy conceded last month that a program he implemented to try and get trucks to run on time had caused delays, but offered few details on what he was doing to fix it. He also said he would not reinstall mail sorting machines that had been removed from post office facilities.
Here is the full list of potential future supreme court nominees that Trump announced at the White House this afternoon:
- Bridget Bade, judge on the US court of appeals for the ninth circuit
- Daniel Cameron, attorney general of Kentucky
- Tom Cotton, US senator from Arkansas
- Paul Clement, partner with Kirkland & Ellis LLP
- Ted Cruz, US senator from Texas
- Stuart Kyle Duncan, judge on the US court of appeals for the fifth circuit
- Steven Engel, assistant attorney general for the office of legal counsel at the Department of Justice
- Noel Francisco, former solicitor general
- Josh Hawley, US senator from Missouri
- James Ho, judge on the US court of appeals for the fifth circuit
- Gregory Katsas, judge on the US court of appeals for the DC circuit
- Barbara Lagoa, judge on the US court of appeals for the eleventh circuit
- Christopher Landau, US ambassador to Mexico
- Carlos Muñiz, justice on the supreme court of Florida
- Martha Pacold, judge on the US district court for the northern district of Illinois
- Peter Phipps, judge on the US court of appeals for the third circuit
- Sarah Pitlyk, judge on the US district court for the eastern district of Missouri
- Allison Jones Rushing, judge on the US court of appeals for the fourth circuit
- Kate Todd, deputy assistant to the president and deputy counsel to the president
- Lawrence VanDyke, judge on the US court of appeals for the ninth circuit
Updated
Senator Ted Cruz said it was “humbling and an immense honor” to be included on Trump’s list of potential future supreme court nominees, but the Texas Republican indicated he would remain in the Senate for the time being.
“In the Senate, I have been blessed to lead the fight to preserve our constitutional liberties – every day, to defend the rights of 29 million Texans – and I look forward to continuing to do so for many years to come,” Cruz said in a statement.
It's humbling and an immense honor to be considered for #SCOTUS.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) September 9, 2020
Read my statement here on @realDonaldTrump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees he announced today he might choose from in a second term.👇 pic.twitter.com/oOjuCHSs80
Updated
Minutes after Trump said he was considering Josh Hawley as a potential future supreme court nominee, the Republican senator took himself out of the running, saying he had “no interest in the high court”.
I appreciate the President’s confidence in listing me as a potential Supreme Court nominee. But as I told the President, Missourians elected me to fight for them in the Senate, and I have no interest in the high court. I look forward to confirming constitutional conservatives
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 9, 2020
During his White House event this afternoon, Trump added 20 names to his list of potential supreme court nominees and called on Democratic nominee Joe Biden to release his own list.
The president’s list included several Republican senators, such as Hawley, Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arizona.
Shortly after the announcement, Cotton tweeted this about Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that affirmed access to abortion to be a constitutional right.
It's time for Roe v. Wade to go.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) September 9, 2020
Updated
Trump says he 'perhaps' misled Americans about coronavirus
Specifically asked whether he downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump told reporters, “In order to reduce panic, perhaps that’s so.”
The president insisted his strategy was focused on encouraging Americans to remain calm, as the virus spread across the country.
“You have to show leadership, and leadership is confidence in our country,” Trump said.
The president also dismissed Bob Woodward’s book as “just another political hit job”.
Acknowledging that he had spoken to Woodward 18 times as the journalist worked on his book, Trump said, “I gave him some quotes.”
The president quickly left the event as reporters continued to press him on Woodward’s book, but Trump said he was “sure we’ll be meeting later in the day”, indicating he may make another appearance this evening.
Updated
Trump on Woodward revelations: 'I don't want to create panic'
Trump defended his comments to journalist Bob Woodward about his efforts to downplay the coronavirus pandemic, saying he was emphasizing the need to “show strength as a nation”.
“I’m a cheerleader for this country,” the president said. “I don’t want people to be frightened; I don’t want to create panic.”
That comment would seem to clash with Trump’s repeated warnings about the recent protests against racism and police brutality.
The protests have been mostly peaceful, the president has repeatedly claimed that Democratic-controlled cities are being overrun by “violent anarchists”.
Updated
Trump releases list of potential supreme court nominees
Trump has released a list of 20 names of potential future supreme court nominees, adding to his two previous lists.
The list included several Republican senators, such as Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ted Cruz of Texas.
Trump described a supreme court nomination as “the most important decision an American president can make”, aside from matters of war and peace.
The president predicted that the candidate who won the November election would be able to choose up to four supreme court justices.
Trump called on Joe Biden to release his own list of potential supreme court nominees, predicting that Biden’s selections would “never withstand public scrutiny”.
Updated
This story is getting less attention because of how newsy the day has been, but it’s an important one: Trump’s fundraising numbers last month fell far short of Joe Biden’s.
The Trump campaign announced that the president and the Republican National Committee raised $210m last month, when both parties held their nominating conventions.
That is an impressive haul, but it is far less than the record-shattering $364.5 million raised by Biden and the Democratic National Committee in August.
The news comes as the president’s cash advantage over Biden has vanished in recent months, sparking questions about former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale’s spending decisions earlier this year.
“The Trump campaign will have all the resources we need to spread the message of President Trump’s incredible record of achievement, on the ground and on the air, and define Joe Biden as a tool of the radical left,” current campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a statement about the August numbers.
The president said yesterday that he would consider using his own money to fund his re-election bid if necessary. “If I have to, I would,” Trump said. “Whatever it takes. We have to win.”
Updated
Trump confirmed he will release his list of potential future supreme court nominees during his event at the White House this afternoon, which has been pushed back by half an hour.
I will be announcing a list of future potential Supreme Court Justices at 3:30 P.M. Eastern from the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2020
The president was supposed to release his list of potential nominees by September 1, but that deadline came and went last week.
The list is a clear effort by Trump to convince conservative voters who are happy with his two supreme court nominations so far to support his reelection bid.
Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, has said he will subpoena Brian Murphy to testify on 21 September about the allegations in his whistleblower complaint.
Schiff said the panel planned to ask Murphy, the former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, about senior officials’ instructions to stop providing intelligence analysis of Russian election interference efforts.
In his complaint, Murphy also alleges that he was told to “modify the section [of the Homeland Threat Assessment] on White Supremacy in a manner that made the threat appear less severe, as well as include information on the prominence of violent ‘left-wing’ groups”.
Schiff said in a statement: “Mr Murphy’s allegations are serious — from senior officials suppressing intelligence reports on Russia’s election interference and making false statements to Congress about terrorism threats at our southern border, to modifying intelligence assessments to match the President’s rhetoric on Antifa and minimizing the threat posed by white supremacists.
“We have requested Mr Murphy’s testimony before the Committee, pursuant to subpoena if necessary, alongside other already scheduled interviews with other DHS officials.”
Updated
DHS whistleblower: I was told to stop providing intel on Russian election interference
A senior official at the Department of Homeland Security has filed a whistleblower complaint alleging he was told to stop providing intelligence analysis of Russia’s attempts to interfere in the 2020 elections.
In his complaint, former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis Brian Murphy claims he was told by acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf in July that an “intelligence notification” regarding Russian disinformation should be “held” because it “made the President look bad”.
The complaint says: “Mr Murphy objected, stating that it was improper to hold a vetted intelligence product for reasons for political embarrassment. In response, Mr Wolf took steps to exclude Mr. Murphy from relevant future meetings on the subject.”
Murphy also claims he was told in May to stop providing intelligence assessments of Russian interference and to instead focus on interference activities by China and Iran.
William Evanina, the director of the national counterintelligence and security center, previously said China and Iran were engaging in anti-Trump influence efforts, but Democrats said Evanina’s warning created a false equivalency between those countries’ efforts and Russia’s widespread disinformation campaign.
“Mr Murphy informed Mr Wolf he would not comply with these instructions, as doing so would put the country in substantial and specific danger,” the complaint says.
The US intelligence community has concluded Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to bolster Trump’s chances of victory, but the president has dismissed those findings as a “hoax” meant to delegitimize his win.
Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, pledged that his panel would investigate Murphy’s allegations.
We’ve received a whistleblower complaint alleging DHS suppressed intel reports on Russian election interference, altered intel to match false Trump claims and made false statements to Congress.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 9, 2020
This puts our national security at risk. We will investigate:https://t.co/Z7npo3P6zv
Updated
As the White House grapples with fallout from the revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book, administration officials are engaging in a blame game over who spoke to the legendary journalist, according to the New York Times.
There is an epic amount of finger-pointing going on at the White House right now about who's to blame for a group of grown adults in serious positions in government - and in one case the president - talking to Woodward.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) September 9, 2020
Of course, that blame game somewhat overlooks the fact that Trump himself spoke to Woodward 18 times for the book.
The Times reports:
Mr Trump gave Mr Woodward extensive access to his White House and to top officials in the hopes the eventual book would be ‘positive,’ in his eyes. Mr. Trump did not speak to Mr. Woodward for his first book on the Trump presidency, Fear, and the president has maintained publicly and to advisers that it would have turned out better had he personally participated.
Updated
Trump will deliver remarks on judicial appointments in about 30 minutes, the White House has just announced.
🚨🚨President @realDonaldTrump will deliver remarks on judicial appointments at 3PM.
— Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) September 9, 2020
The event did not appear on the president’s original schedule, although White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany briefed reporters this afternoon.
It’s unclear whether Trump will take reporters’ questions at the event, but if he does, he will certainly be pressed on the revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book.
Trump was supposed to release a list of his potential future supreme court nominees by September 1, but he has not yet done so. This event may be focused on that.
Speaking at the UAW Hall Region 1 Hall, in front of an American flag and Ford pick-up truck, Joe Biden unveiled his plans unveiled his plans to reward investments in US manufacturing and penalize American companies that outsource jobs.
The plan is part of his economic agenda aimed at confronting Trump on the economy, the one issue where the president maintains an edge over Biden.
The plan proposes a “Made in America” tax credit for companies that investments aimed at creating US manufacturing jobs. It also calls for an offshore tax penalty for goods and services manufactured abroad by American companies and then sold on the US market.
He also recalled his work as vice president, overseeing the economic recovery during the financial recession of 2008-2009.
Speakers at the event praised Biden for his role in helping to rescue Detroit automakers.
Joe Biden is now making the case that Trump has broken his promises to American workers by failing to end offshoring and offering lucrative contracts and tax breaks to big corporations that shipped jobs overseas.
“Donald Trump has broken just about every promise he made to the American worker,” he said.
Accusing the president of favoring big corporations and international conglomerates over American workers, he continued: “US trade deficits are at an all-time high, under Trump over the last three years,” he said.
“What about Trump’s commitment to ‘Buy American’? Like the rest of Trump’s promises, it has nothing to do with reality. It’s all a bunch of hot air.”
Then, referencing a report last week in The Atlantic that Trump called injured and fallen US soldiers “losers” and “suckers,” Biden said the story was emblematic of the president’s character.
“Donald Trump doesn’t understand what it means to serve something bigger than yourself,” Biden said
Updated
Biden: Trump's Covid-19 response a 'life and death betrayal of the American people'
Speaking from Warren, Michigan, Joe Biden assailed Trump over Bob Woodward’s reporting.
“He had the information. He knew how dangerous it was. He failed to do his job on purpose .... It was a life and death betrayal of the American people,” Biden said, his voice rising in anger.
“He knew and purposely played it down. Worse, he lied to the American people,”he continued, arguing that Trump’s response “crashed our economy” and led to tens of thousands of needless deaths.
“How many schools aren’t open right now? ... How many parents feel abandoned and overwhelmed? How many frontlines workers feel exhausted and pushed to their limits.”
“It’s beyond despicable. It’s a dereliction of duty. It’s a disgrace,” he said.
Updated
Today so far
Here’s where this very newsy Wednesday stands so far:
- Trump acknowledged in March that he was trying to downplay the threat of coronavirus, according to a new book from Bob Woodward. The president told the legendary journalist earlier this year, “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.” Trump also acknowledged coronavirus was “deadly” and airborne as early as February, while publicly saying the virus would “disappear.”
- The White House defended Trump over the revelations in Woodward’s book. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “The president never downplayed the virus.” But CNN released a recording of the president telling Woodward that he was intentionally downplaying the virus to avoid a public “panic.”
- Joe Biden is delivering a speech on the economy in Warren, Michigan. The Democratic nominee will take the podium at any moment, and he is expected to address the revelations in Woodward’s new book.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Joe Biden has landed in Michigan, where he is due to deliver an economic speech later this afternoon.
Exiting the plan, Biden waved but did not respond to reporters questions about the revelations contained in Bob Woodward’s new book.
However, according to Bloomberg, Biden is expected to address the reporting in his remarks today.
Biden will address the new Bob Woodward reporting in his remarks today, campaign aide says.
— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) September 9, 2020
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has now concluded her briefing, during which she was repeatedly pressed on the revelations from Bob Woodward’s new book.
McEnany was asked why Trump gave Woodward his unvarnished opinion about coronavirus when he would not give it to the American people.
“He was giving Bob Woodward the same opinion he gave from the podium,” McEnany said.
However, the audio released by CNN shows Trump told Woodward in February that the virus was “deadly” and airborne. The president also emphasized coronavirus was potentially five times “more deadly” than the flu.
That same month, the president publicly assured Americans the virus would “disappear.”
“It’s going to disappear,” Trump said on February 28. “One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked why Trump agreed to participate in 18 (yes, 18) interviews with Bob Woodward after the famous journalist’s first book about the president was so critical.
McEnany replied, “Because he’s the most transparent president in history.”
As expected, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is facing an onslaught of questions about Trump’s efforts to downplay the coronavirus pandemic, as reported by Bob Woodward.
But McEnany continued to defend the president, insisting Trump had “always been clear-eyed with the American people.”
WH Press Sec. Kayleigh McEnany: "The president never downplayed the virus." pic.twitter.com/BBo2kPi0sK
— The Recount (@therecount) September 9, 2020
One reporter noted Trump privately told Woodward in February that coronavirus was “deadly” and airborne, but the president publicly said weeks later that the virus would “go away.”
“No one is lying to the American people,” McEnany said. “One day, Covid will go away.”
McEnany praised Trump for having “expressed calmness” about coronavirus to help mitigate concerns about a global pandemic.
“The president never downplayed the virus,” McEnany said.
Again, here is what Trump told Woodward in March: “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”
Updated
McEnany denies Trump misled Americans about coronavirus
No surprise here: the first question to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was about whether Trump intentionally downplayed the threat of coronavirus, as Bob Woodward reports in his new book.
“Absolutely not,” McEnany said of Woodward’s reporting. “Of course I deny it.”
Pressed further on Woodward’s reporting, McEnany insisted, “The president has never lied to the American public on Covid.”
But Trump told Woodward back in March, “I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”
Updated
McEnany holds White House briefing
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is now holding a briefing with reporters.
McEnany opened the briefing by touting Trump’s nomination (from a far-right Norwegian MP) for the Nobel Peace Prize.
She went on to boast that the president had saved US manufacturing jobs and successfully “stood up to China.”
So it appears the press secretary is not going to directly address the Bob Woodward revelations until the briefing turns to reporters’ questions.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was supposed to start briefing reporters about 20 minutes ago, but she has not yet appeared at the podium.
Something appears to have delayed the White House press briefing pic.twitter.com/2iVHz3bq6j
— jonkarl (@jonkarl) September 9, 2020
The reports about Bob Woodward’s new book were released moments before McEnany was scheduled to start her briefing, so she is likely preparing for the onslaught of questions she will receive about the book.
According to Bob Woodward’s new book, Trump also repeatedly insulted military leaders who disagreed with him on national security matters.
An aide to former defense secretary Jim Mattis heard Trump say in a meeting, “My fucking generals are a bunch of pussies.” Mattis asked the aide to document the comment in an email to him.
In his own conversations with Woodward, Trump similarly insulted generals who emphasized the importance of alliances with Nato and South Korea.
“I wouldn’t say they were stupid, because I would never say that about our military people,” Trump said. “But if they said that, they -- whoever said that was stupid. It’s a horrible bargain ... they make so much money. Costs us $10 billion. We’re suckers.”
The revelations come as the White House continues to deal with fallout from recent reports that Trump referred to fallen soldiers as “losers” and “suckers.”
Trump also boasted to journalist Bob Woodward that his administration had built a new secret weapons system.
“I have built a nuclear — a weapons system that nobody’s ever had in this country before,” the president told Woodward.
Other administration officials confirmed the news to Woodward, but they expressed shock that Trump had disclosed the information to a journalist.
Trump also alarmed his national security team in 2017, as he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared to inch closer to war amid an escalating series of insults.
“We never knew whether it was real,” secretary of state Mike Pompeo is reported to have said, “or whether it was a bluff.”
According to Woodward, former defense secretary Jim Mattis slept in his clothes during this time, in order to be ready at a moment’s notice if North Korea launched an attack. The retied general also frequently prayed over the matter at Washington National Cathedral.
According to Bob Woodward’s new book, two of Trump’s most senior advisers, former defense secretary James Mattis and former director of national intelligence Daniel Coats, expressed serious concerns about the president’s leadership and discussed the need to speak out publicly against him.
CNN reports:
Mattis is quoted as saying Trump is ‘dangerous,’ ‘unfit,’ has ‘no moral compass’ and took foreign policy actions that showed adversaries ‘how to destroy America.’ After Mattis left the administration, he and Coats discussed whether they needed to take ‘collective action’ to speak out publicly against Trump. Mattis says he ultimately resigned after Trump announced he was withdrawing US troops from Syria, ‘when I was basically directed to do something that I thought went beyond stupid to felony stupid.’
According to Woodward, Coats also “continued to harbor the secret belief, one that had grown rather than lessened, although unsupported by intelligence proof, that Putin had something on Trump.” Coats could find no other explanation for Trump’s behavior toward Russia, Woodward writes.
Bob Woodward’s new book, “Rage,” includes a number of extraordinary anecdotes about Trump and his advisers, some of whom expressed grave concerns about the president’s leadership.
When discussing the recent protests against racism and police brutality, Woodward said he believed “white, privileged” people had to work to understand “the anger and the pain” of African Americans.
Trump replied, “You really drank the Kool-Aid, didn’t you? Just listen to you. Wow. No, I don’t feel that at all.”
The president has previously said he does not believe systemic racism contributed to recent police killings of African Americans.
Trump admitted coronavirus was 'deadly' in February, new book says
Trump told famous journalist Bob Woodward back in February that he knew coronavirus was “deadly” and airborne, even though the president spent the following months downplaying the severity of the virus.
“This is deadly stuff,” Trump told Woodward on February 7, according to audio excerpts released by CNN.
In new tapes, President Trump admits to Bob Woodward he concealed critical details he knew about the coronavirus. "I wanted to always play it down." https://t.co/eICaAx70mY pic.twitter.com/zXNOZtIBx7
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) September 9, 2020
Trump also told Woodward that coronavirus was maybe five times “more deadly” than the flu, even though the president later repeatedly compared the novel virus to the flu, which attracted criticism from health experts.
A month later, the president acknowledged that he was seeking to downplay the seriousness of the virus to avoid creating a public “panic.”
“I wanted to always play it down,” Trump told Woodward on 19 March. “I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”
The book, entitled Rage, is scheduled to be released next Tuesday.
Updated
The Trump campaign has pushed some of its fall ad buys back a week, as polls show Joe Biden leading nationally by an average of about 8 points.
Trump ads were supposed to start airing yesterday in the battleground states of New Hampshire, Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Nevada, but the start date has been pushed to next Tuesday.
Just in: @realDonaldTrump has pushed some of his fall ad buys - scheduled to start 9/8 - in NH, AZ, OH, PA, IA, and NV back a week. New start date is 9/15. @JoeBiden has pushed his scheduled buy in NH back a week, too. New start date is also 9/15.
— Advertising Analytics (@Ad_Analytics) September 8, 2020
That news comes as the Trump campaign has struggled to land on a central message of attack against Biden.
Recent polls have indicated that the president’s efforts to paint Biden as a “radical socialist” who would be soft on crime are not changing many voters’ minds.
A Republican senator facing a difficult reelection bid is in hot water for his staffer’s comments to a woman with cancer.
Bev Veals, a three-time cancer survivor, contacted the office of North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis because she was worried about losing her health insurance now that her husband has been furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Veals became so frustrated with a staffer in Tillis’ office that she began taping their phone call.
Senator Thom Tillis staffer tells woman with cancer who doesn’t have health care that she’s out of luck.
— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) September 9, 2020
“Just like if you want to go to the store and buy a new dress shirt, if I can’t afford that dress shirt, I don’t get to get it.” pic.twitter.com/DCZMORFHGl
The recording shows Veals asking the staffer, “You’re saying that, if you can’t afford it, you don’t get to have it, and that includes healthcare?”
The staffer replies, “Yeah, just like if I want to go to the store and buy a new dress shirt. If I can’t afford that dress shirt, I don’t get to get it.”
Veals shot back, “But healthcare is something that people need, especially if they have cancer.”
“Well, you got to find a way to get it,” he responded.
Tillis’ office issued an apology to Veals and said the staffer had been disciplined.
“The way Mrs. Veals was talked to by a staff assistant in our Washington office was completely inappropriate and violates the code of conduct Senator Tillis has for his staff, which is why immediate disciplinary action has been taken,” Tillis’ spokesperson, Daniel Keylin, told local news outlet WRAL.
But Democrats have already pounced on the video, arguing it captures Tillis’ indifference about his constituents’ healthcare.
From a former National Security Council spokesperson under the Obama administration:
This isn't a story about a rude person in @ThomTillis's office, this is a staffer accurately describing the Republican approach to health care. Get sick? Tough luck. Vote Tillis out by supporting @CalforNC: https://t.co/oOxvDradAJ
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) September 8, 2020
Updated
Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed uncertainty about whether another coronavirus relief bill will pass this year.
“I don’t know. We’ll see,” Mnuchin said this morning when asked about the odds of passing another relief package. “I hope there is. It’s important to a lot of people out there.”
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has scheduled a vote later this week on what Republicans are calling a “targeted” relief bill.
However, even if that bill can pass the Senate, it faces no future in the Democratic-controlled House, considering House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer have criticized the legislation as insufficient to address Americans’ financial needs.
Pelosi and Schumer said in a statement yesterday, “[T]his emaciated bill is only intended to help vulnerable Republican Senators by giving them a ‘check the box’ vote to maintain the appearance that they’re not held hostage by their extreme right-wing that doesn’t want to spend a nickel to help people.”
Democrats have called for a $2.2tn relief package to help Americans who have financially suffered because of the pandemic.
Updated
As Joe Biden visits Michigan today, Vice President Mike Pence is traveling to Pennsylvania, another state that Trump won by less than 1 point in 2016.
Wearing a mask, VP Pence arrives in Pittsburgh and boards campaign bus for his events today in must-win Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/dSlLiMuKLZ
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 9, 2020
Pence will be in Freedom, Pennsylvania, to host an event for “Workers for Trump,” as both presidential campaigns try to convince voters their candidates are best suited to guide the US economy amid a global pandemic.
The first presidential debate is less than three weeks away, and the president is preparing for it by ... not preparing at all.
NBC News has the latest on Trump’s debate prep:
Trump has not held a single mock debate session, and has no plans to stage a formal practice round, as he readies for his first faceoff with Joe Biden in less than three weeks, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions.
The president has dismissed the typical debate preparations he participated in four years ago, joking to aides and allies that he’s been preparing for debates since he was born. His ability to fire back at an opponent in real time, he’s argued, ‘isn’t something you have to practice.’
Instead, Trump has so far chosen to prepare through informal discussions with key allies and with briefings from top officials in his administration on various topics that are likely to come up, these people said.
The lack of preparation is particularly noteworthy considering Trump and his allies have emphasized the importance of the debates in recent weeks.
Trump’s campaign has suggested Biden, who has a long history of gaffes and verbal missteps, will flounder in the debates and give the president an advantage in the election.
However, Trump may not be able to draw that sharp contrast if he has not gone through the traditional debate prep. Meanwhile, Biden has said he “can hardly wait” for the debates.
Updated
As Joe Biden tries to recapture Democrats’ “Blue Wall” in the presidential election, a new poll from Pennsylvania offers some good news for the former vice president.
According to a new NBC News/Marist poll, Biden is leading Trump by 9 points among likely voters in Pennsylvania, 53%-44%.
The president carried Pennsylvania by less than 1 point in 2016, and Biden hopes to flip the state back to Democrats in November.
However, the poll indicates Trump still has the edge over Biden when it comes to the economy. While 51% of likely voters chose Trump as the best candidate to handle the economy, 41% said the same of Biden.
Biden’s speech today in Warren, Michigan, is meant to chip away at Trump’s favorable numbers on his handling of the economy. Biden will specifically discuss his plans to incentivize US companies to create and keep jobs in the US.
Biden will likely carry that economic argument on to Pennsylvania. The Democratic nominee also has one built-in advantage in the Keystone State: he was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, before his family moved to Delaware, where Biden has lived ever since.
Michigan Republicans are offering some counter-programming to Joe Biden’s visit today, holding a media call before the Democrat’s speech in Warren.
Michigan GOP chair Cox, Rep. Moolenaar, Walberg holding media call before Biden's visit. Emphasizing Trump's USMCA trade deal, funding for Soo Locks project, pre-pandemic economic record, virus relief aid. 'President Trump has delivered on what he said he would do.' - Walberg
— David Eggert (@DavidEggert00) September 9, 2020
Congressman Tim Walberg, who represents part of southern Michigan, said during the call that Trump “has delivered on what he said he would do.”
In reality, the president has broken about half of the promises he has made to the American people, according to Politifact.
Despite that fact, Trump will likely deliver a similar message tomorrow, when he gives a campaign speech in Freeland, Michigan.
Biden's Michigan visit marks new stage of presidential campaign
This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden will travel to Warren, Michigan, today to “deliver remarks on his plan to ensure the future is Made in America by all of America’s workers,” as his campaign announced yesterday.
According to reports, the trip marks the beginning of a new phase of Biden’s strategy to win the White House, with less than two months to go until election day.
The former vice president has previously focused his pitch to voters on the idea that this election represents a “battle for the soul of the nation.” Biden has also hammered Donald Trump as an unfit leader for this moment of intense crisis for the country.
But now, Biden is shifting his messaging a bit to argue he will be better for the economy than Trump has been. Recent polls have indicated that voters increasingly trust Biden when it comes to the economy, which was one of the only topics where Trump was previously ahead of his opponent.
Ahead of the Michigan trip, Biden is unveiling economic proposals to impose a tax penalty on companies that move operations overseas and offer a tax credit for companies that create US jobs.
This strategy is a clear attempt to flip Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania -- which, until 2016, were considered part of Democrats’ “Blue Wall” stronghold.
Trump carried each of those three states by less than 1 point in 2016, and Democrats hope Biden will be able to bring them back into the Democratic fold in November.
Biden’s ability to flip those three states will likely determine the winner of the presidential election, and today could indicate whether this new strategy will help him capture the White House.
That speech is still coming up, so stay tuned.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has been on CNN this morning talking about the bleak prospects for getting some kind of coronavirus relief bill passed any time soon. He gave a long list of the things he said were missing from the Republican proposals, which he again described as “emaciated”.
There are going to be hundreds of thousands, if not millions of layoffs of people who work for our state and local governments, the people who drive the buses, pick up the garbage. fight the fires. They’re not getting any money. There’s no money to feed children who can’t get food. There’s no money to help people who are evicted from their houses, there’s no money for our restaurants, for our public spaces that need help, for our travel industry, for our airlines. There’s no money for broadband – rural areas are clamouring for broadband so that they can teach the kids. And there’s so many things that are not in this bill, that are missing.
Schumer described his opposite number Mitch McConnell as “cynical” for bringing forward a bill that he knew would not pass.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says "there is so much missing" in the Republican coronavirus relief bill that will be voted on tomorrow but is not expected to pass https://t.co/RntfhUke6y pic.twitter.com/ZkbK0rSXwo
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 9, 2020
And that’s it from me today, I’m handing over to Joan E Greve now, and I will see you again tomorrow.
Politico have some words from ActBlue executive director Erin Hill on how she rates Joe Biden’s grassroots campaigning over the last few weeks, and she seems very positive about it. Of the selection of Kamala Harris as VP pick in particular, she notes:
They announced that to their grassroots, first and foremost. That message didn’t go out to the media at first. It went out to their list. And I think that they’re doing a great job of making sure that they’re helping people feel involved in that campaign, and they’re letting grassroots donors know that they need them.
Hill also says, that a key plank has been making Biden and Harris available at a whole series of events “talking directly to the grassroots with a really low price point.”
ActBlue is a digital small-dollar donation platform used by thousands of Democratic candidates and organizations.
You can read more here: Politico – ActBlue chief hails Biden’s small-dollar donor operation
A Washington state man who said he was traveling to see president Donald Trump faces up to 20 years in jail after he pleaded guilty to assaulting two Secret Service special agents in October 2018 in West Virginia.
Joshua Wills, 31, of Bremerton, Washington, admitted in federal court that he intended to drive to Washington, DC, to meet the president, report Associated Press. The Secret Service started investigating Wills after receiving reports he had a dangerous weapon on his trip, prosecutors said in a news release.
Wills was arrested after a standoff at a campground in which he raised a 3-foot-long (1-meter-long) sword. A St. Albans police officer disabled Wills with a beanbag gun, the statement said.
US Attorney Mike Stuart said, “One sure fire way not to see the President of the United States is to brandish a weapon and threaten the safety of local and federal officials,”
2,000 US troops to be withdrawn from Iraq this month
The commander of US Central Command has announced that more than 2,000 US troops will be withdrawn from Iraq this month. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie said:
In recognition of the great progress the Iraqi forces have made and in consultation and coordination with the Government of Iraq and our coalition partners, the United States has decided to reduce our troop presence in Iraq from about 5,200 to 3,000 troops during the month of September. This decision is due to our confidence in the Iraqi Security Forces’ increased ability to operate independently.
Donald Trump met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi last month in the White House.
Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by far-right Norwegian MP
Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize – after being nominated by the same far-right politician for the second time.
Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian parliament, has revealed that he has nominated the US president for the key role he has played in the recent agreement to normalise relationships between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Tybring-Gjedde himself has leaked the news that he has nominated Trump, telling Fox News, “For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees.”
The bar for being nominated, however, is very low. In 2020, there were 318 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The statutes of the Nobel Foundation state that nominations will be accepted from “Members of national assemblies and national governments (cabinet members/ministers) of sovereign states as well as current heads of states”, which means essentially any politician in the world can nominate any other politician.
Tybring-Gjedde says in his nomination letter that “As it is expected other Middle Eastern countries will follow in the footsteps of the UAE, this agreement could be a game changer that will turn the Middle East into a region of cooperation and prosperity.”
As yet, there has been no sign of this happening, with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s recent visit to the region yielding no further developments.
Tybring-Gjedde was also one of two Norwegian lawmakers who nominated Trump for the peace prize in 2018 for his efforts to bring reconciliation between North and South Korea. At the time he and former justice minister Per-Willy Amundsen said that Trump “had taken a huge and important step in the direction of the disarmament, peace and reconciliation between North and South Korea”.
A group of Republicans from the House of Representatives sent an open letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in 2018 urging them to award the prize to Trump.
Prior to that, a previous attempt to nominate ended in mystery in 2018 when two nominations for him that year appeared to have been faked. They were subsequently withdrawn by the committee, leading to Norwegian police contacting the FBI over it to try and trace the culprits.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to president Barack Obama in 2009 for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people”. He donated the $1.4m award to charity. In 2013 Trump called for Obama’s award to be rescinded.
Our NOBEL PRIZE FOR PEACE president said "I'm really good at killing people" according to just out book Double Down. Can Oslo retract prize?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2013
Other previous US administration recipients of the prize have included president Woodrow Wilson in 1920, for his efforts in ending the First World War and help in creating the League of Nations. Jimmy Carter received the award in 2002, and former vice president Al Gore was honoured in 2007, for his efforts to obtain and spread knowledge about climate change.
Thank you! https://t.co/S2kgsPh77l
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2020
Updated
Jean Guerrero has written for us this morning. She’s the author of “Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump and the White Nationalist Agenda”. Miller is a Trump senior advisor and speechwriter, and Guerrero has traced how his own rhetoric echoes the rise of white supremacist theories in his home state.
One of the main recruiting tactics of white supremacists was popularized for the first time in the United States in Miller’s home state of California during the nineties. It’s the white genocide theory. Formerly articulated in terms of threats to the white race, the conspiracy theory is now frequently packaged in terms of threats to Western heritage – to make it more palatable to average Americans who might be turned off by overt racism.
Read it here: Jean Guerrero – Trump’s re–election strategy is torn from white supremacist playbooks
Back to the national election campaign for a moment, there’s a write-up this morning from Morgan Chalfant and Jonathan Easley over at The Hill about what the two candidate’s campaigning plans over the next few days tell us.
The Trump campaign has planned 18 appearances in 11 states over the next six days for the president, Vice President Pence and members of the Trump family. The president is pressing forward with an aggressive travel schedule for official and campaign appearances after visiting Florida and North Carolina on Tuesday.
The trips underscore the sense of urgency felt by both campaigns. Biden maintains a lead over Trump in national polling, but surveys in some swing states show the race narrowing, presenting an opportunity for the incumbent president even as he faces steep disapproval for his handling of the coronavirus. The events also bring the battlegrounds map into sharp relief, giving an indication of the states the campaigns believe will be most important for their path to 270 electoral votes.
Trump visits North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada. Biden will visit Pennsylvania and plans stops in Arizona and Minnesota too.
Read it here: The Hill – Trump, Biden take fight to campaign trail as finish line nears
Some primary results to report. In New Hampshire, Republican Governor Chris Sununu easily defeated two long shots on the Republican ballot.
He faced longtime conservative activist Karen Testerman, of Franklin, and Nobody, a Keene man who had officially changed his name from Rich Paul.
Nobody previously ran for the mayoralty of Keene last year, on a platform of low taxes and legalising marijuana, with the slogans ‘Nobody tells the truth, Nobody can fix the economy,’ and ‘Nobody cares about the poor.’
THANK YOU, New Hampshire! Serving as your Governor has been my honor. In 2021, New Hampshire will need the management experience to promote businesses, keep our state safe, and invigorate economic opportunity for families. Humbled and grateful for the strong vote today. pic.twitter.com/SHxEFBWCUa
— Chris Sununu (@ChrisSununu) September 9, 2020
In a statement, the victorious Sununu said he was humbled and grateful for his win Tuesday night: “We put a great team together for our state and provided the leadership necessary to guide New Hampshire through these unprecedented times.”
The son of a former governor, Trump-supporting Sununu was the youngest governor in the country when he took office in 2017 at age 42.
Meanwhile Bryant “Corky” Messner won the Republican primary for Senate on Tuesday, setting up a bid to deny Sen. Jeanne Shaheen a third term.
“We’re not going to celebrate, we’re going to unify,” he told supporters at a gathering organized by the Trump campaign, according to the Associated Press. “I’m not celebrating anything, I’m going to work, because we have a big mission ahead of us.”
The 63-year-old Army veteran and attorney was endorsed by Trump, and cast himself as a political outsider, saying he gained leadership experience in the military and private sector. He was also a bit of an outsider to the state. After owning a vacation home in Wolfeboro, Messner only made it his permanent residence about two years ago.
Get Out and Vote for Corky Messner (@CorkyForSenate)! https://t.co/F2t0SMiwLr
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2020
“They better not underestimate me,” Messner said. “We are coming for Jeanne Shaheen.”
Shaheen, 73, is the first woman in US history to serve as both governor and a senator.
“When it comes to making a difference for New Hampshire, she gets the job done, and her record stands in sharp contrast to Corky Messner, a Colorado transplant who moved here to try to buy himself a Senate seat, and is promising policies that will hurt Granite Staters,” said her campaign manager, Harrell Kirstein.
Having to replace the White House lawn is pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things – although potentially violating the Hatch Act is not, and that’s just been one of the unusual things about the current election campaign. Ed Pilkington has done a big number for us today on the dangers imperilling American democracy.
With 55 days to go before election day, the sense is building that this cycle has veered way beyond the normal imperfections and incompetency of US elections. Deep cracks are being prised open in the core institutions and structures of democracy itself that beg the question: is the edifice revered for more than 200 years quite as solid and robust as assumed?
The Guardian spoke to the principals of five major US organizations that are at the heart of the movement to protect and improve US democracy and civil rights. Though each came from distinct starting points – from racial justice to electoral reform and the fight against economic inequality – they have all arrived at the same disturbing end point: profound anxiety about the state of the nation.
“Our democracy is deeply imperiled,” said Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice, the go-to authority on all things electoral. “We have relied on democratic norms and expectations for years that now turn out to be very weak in the face of somebody with an authoritarian bent.”
It is a cracking, and disturbing, read: ‘Our democracy is deeply imperiled’: how democratic norms are under threat ahead of the US election
You can also listen to Ed discuss the issue in our podcast: Is democracy in America under threat?
So we knew yesterday that there was remedial work being done in the White House gardens. It looks like there’s a little bit more to it than just some drainage problems.
The Washington Post is reporting this morning that the RNC events staged there in violation of political norms damaged the lawns at the White House, and that the Trump campaign is having to pay to have them re-laid.
Trump’s unprecedented decision to stage overtly political events on public property — which drew complaints that the Trumps were using “the people’s house” for personal gain — continues to reverberate nearly two weeks later, as work crews re-sod the lawn and make other repairs.
On 27 August, Trump delivered his address formally accepting the Republican nomination on the South Lawn before an estimated 1,500 supporters seated on chairs. The president spoke from an enormous stage built in front of the South Portico of the White House. It was flanked by massive television screens and illuminated by scores of hulking spotlights — all particularly heavy equipment to position on grass.
A Trump campaign official confirmed to the Washington Post that the sod replacement was being paid for with campaign funds.
Read it here: White House lawn, Rose Garden being re-sod after damage from Republican convention
Here’s a bit more on the latest coronavirus news, as Iowa’s governor, Kim Reynolds has doubled-down on not imposing restrictions as numbers soar in the state.
Iowa’s governor, Kim Reynolds, is refusing to enforce a White House coronavirus taskforce recommendation to close bars and require people to wear masks after Covid-19 infections in some of the state’s cities surged.
Meanwhile, coronavirus cases have risen sharply across the whole midwest in recent weeks putting the region at the forefront of America’s pandemic. The region accounted for six of the eight states with the highest number of new Covid-19 cases by early September even as infections fell in other parts of the US previously among the worst hit.
North Dakota has the largest number of positive cases per capita in the country over the past 14 days. Iowa and South Dakota are enduring the highest percentage increases. Missouri has seen more than 1,300 new cases a day on average over the past week.
You can read more here: Iowa refuses to close bars and require masks as Covid-19 cases surge in cities
Here’s an update on the California wildfires from the Associated Press. They report that they continue to rage unchecked, and authorities are warning that gusty winds could drive flames into a new ferocity – Diablo winds in the north and Santa Ana winds in the south were forecast.
In Southern California, fires burned in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. The hot, dry winds forecast could reach 50 mph at times. People in a half-dozen foothill communities east of Los Angeles were being told to stay alert because of a fire in the Angeles National Forest.
“The combination of gusty winds, very dry air, and dry vegetation will create critical fire danger,” the National Weather Service warned.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the City of Monrovia is braced to evacuate. “We have been told to plan for the fire to get worse and we are asking all residents to be prepared and ready if an evacuation order is issued,” the city said in a statement.
The 1st phase will be all residents residing north of Hillcrest Blvd. and north of Greystone Ave.
— City of Monrovia (@MonroviaCA) September 8, 2020
The 2nd phase will be all residents residing between Hillcrest Blvd. and Greystone Ave., south to Foothill Blvd. pic.twitter.com/cbgtyC3fCT
The fires have a long-term effect as well. Dani Anguiano has written for us today about the impact of 2018’s Camp fire on the town of Paradise and its surroundings in Butte county, California.
Tens of thousands of its former residents have not returned. Some have rebuilt elsewhere, often after sojourns in hotels, parents’ guest bedrooms or on friends’ couches. Others are still struggling to find a place to call home. Affordability, trauma and concerns about the future of Paradise and the other Ridge communities have shaped decisions about where to go. Some have resettled nearby, hoping to stay close to their hometowns and families. Others have left the state, in search of a new inexpensive place to rebuild. All too often, those with the least resources have faced the greatest challenges.
You can read that here: Trauma, fear and homelessness: the struggles of Paradise’s fire migrants show the future of climate crisis
Lloyd Green has reviewed Michael Cohen’s book for us – reaction to the publication of Disloyal is dominating the airwaves. Green says it’s easy to distrust Cohen and the book should be taken with more than a grain of salt. But he also describes it as “a readable and bile-filled take on Trump and his minions”.
He also picks up this supposed insight about the president’s attitude to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Cohen records that on numerous occasions Trump told him the Russian president was “the richest man in the world by a multiple”. Trump is quoted explaining: “If you think about it, Putin controls 25% of the Russian economy … imagine controlling 25% of the wealth of a country. Wouldn’t that be fucking amazing.”
Consistent with that take, Trump muses that a Russian oligarch who bought property from him was actually doing Putin’s bidding. “The oligarchs are just fronts for Putin,” Trump purportedly said. “That’s all they are doing – investing Putin’s money.”
Cohen’s book also alleges that Donald Trump is highly critical of the inner circle of his own family. According to Cohen, Trump would repeatedly tell him Don Jr possessed the “worst fucking judgment” of anyone he had ever met.
Green’s review is here: Disloyal review: Michael Cohen’s mob hit on Trump entertains – but will it shift votes?
Joe Biden has national 12 point lead among likely voters, according to Reuters/Ipsos poll
We’ve all got views on how reliable polling is, but a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll today is claiming that Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 12 percentage points nationally among likely US voters. They also say it indicates that the number of persuadable voters has shrunk compared with four years ago.
It was conducted online between 3 September and 8 September, so after the national conventions would have had their effect. It found 52% of likely voters planned to support Biden, 40% back Trump, and just 5% said they remained undecided.
Reuters report that it suggests that even if the remaining undecided voters threw their support behind Trump, he would still lose the popular vote to Biden. Not, as we’ve seen before, that this would preclude him from winning the presidency.
When asked what was driving their pick for president, 28% told the pollsters that it was the candidate’s perceived ability to handle the coronavirus, and 23% said it was the ability to restore trust in government. An additional 19% said it was the candidate’s ability to boost the economy, and 14% said they were looking for a candidate who is “tough on crime.”
If you include people who said they were less likely to vote, Biden’s lead reduces to eight percentage points. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online, and has a margin of error of 4%. Make of that what you will.
Joe Biden to visit Michigan, will outline an “offshoring tax penalty” policy
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will visit the battleground state of Michigan today, where he will outline new proposals to tax companies that move US jobs overseas and offer incentives for companies to invest in domestic operations.
Joseph Ax reports for Reuters that in a visit to the Detroit suburb of Warren, Biden will propose an “offshoring tax penalty” on profits from products made overseas and sold in the United States, according to a Biden adviser. Biden, who has already proposed raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, would impose a 30.8% rate on such profits.
Biden’s plan envisions a companion 10% tax credit for companies that reopen closed or closing facilities, bringing back off-shored jobs or expanding manufacturing payroll, among other domestic investments.
While those measures would require congressional approval, Biden is also expected to detail several executive orders he would take as president to ensure the government purchases primarily American-made goods and materials.
The remarks are the latest effort from Biden to emphasize economic issues. In recent months, Biden has unveiled a sweeping economic recovery agenda he calls “Build Back Better”. The plan calls for a multi trillion-dollar investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, environmental advances and caregiving, and he has argued that Donald Trump has focused on corporate welfare and tax cuts for the wealthy instead of aiding working families.
At a campaign rally in North Carolina on Tuesday, Trump accused Biden of supporting the offshoring of American jobs overseas and asserted the economy would suffer if Biden is elected president. The president will not be campaigning today, but is expected to visit battlegrounds Michigan and Pennsylvania later in the week.
Trump carried Michigan by fewer than 10,000 votes in 2016.
Updated
Good morning. Here’s our live coverage of the day’s US politics and the latest on the coronavirus crisis. Here’s a quick catch-up on where we stand, and a bit on what we can expect today.
- A packed crowd of hundreds gathered in North Carolina for a Donald Trump campaign rally yesterday, with many people forgoing masks, in defiance of state guidelines capping gatherings at 50 people.
- During the rally, Trump said that Kamala Harris, “could never be the first woman president ... That would be an insult to our country,” and once again encouraged voters to commit voter fraud. He also mocked his opponent for following safety guidelines amid an ongoing pandemic.
- There were 462 new coronavirus deaths and 28,549 new Covid-19 cases reported in the US on Tuesday. NBC News has calculated that over the past week, one new Covid-19 death was recorded every 106 seconds in the US.
- Democratic congressional leaders rejected Republicans proposal to pass a “skinny” coronavirus relief bill.
- The police chief of Rochester, New York, resigned amid protests over the death of Daniel Prude.
- House Democrats are launching an investigation of the postmaster general, Louis DeJoy.
- The justice department is seeking to take over Trump’s defense in a defamation lawsuit from a writer who accused him of rape. It could mean taxpayers ultimately footing the bills.
- California wildfires have now burned an area bigger than the state of Delaware. That surpasses the annual state record of 1.96m acres that went up in flames in 2018. Governor Gavin Newsom said the state was facing an “extraordinary” challenge.
- White House Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany holds a press briefing at noon. Joe Biden is out campaigning in the battleground state Michigan.
I’m Martin Belam, you can get in touch with me at martin.belam@theguardian.com
