Getting Worse

Viral Musings:  Trump went for another one of his tone resets yesterday.  He was somber and looked worn out as he provided a virus update. He appeared without any of his experts, virus guru Fauci who during an earlier CNN interview insisted that he wasn’t an alarmist just a realist, wasn’t in the building and Dr Debbie who was at the WH was kept off stage where she was probably twirling another one of her designer scarves.  Trump didn’t say anything we didn’t already know but finally admitted that things on the virus front are going to get worse before they get better and that wearing a mask, though not a mandate, is a good idea.  Of course he again bragged about ventilators, his administration’s one supply accomplishment, but then claimed that everything else needed to fight the virus was in abundant supply despite concerns over dwindling PPE reserves and the lack of adequate testing resources as well as the ever increasing amount of time it takes to get test results, problems that Quest Diagnostics, one of the largest testers warns will get worse as we approach flu season. Though 1000 Americans died yesterday, a number not seen since the NY peak, he also mumbled something about death rates going down due to the younger mix of infected individuals, a variation on his argument that a lot of newly infected people only know they’re infected because of all that unnecessary testing.  By the way, though he bragged about surging testing he is still trying to eliminate testing funds from the next round of emergency aid legislation.  He continued to assert that the US mortality rate is the lowest even though it’s not, while saying that anti-viral Remdesivir and dexamethasone were making everyone way better, they’re both helping but are far from miracle cures.  And of course he complained, about the “empty cupboards” that Obama and Biden left him, the media’s excessive coverage of the virus and how much they ignore that other countries are suffering, again not true.

Well Wishing:  All the virus talk aside, the most notable part of his presentation occurred during the very brief question and answer period when a reporter asked him whether he expected Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s partner in pedophilia, to go public with the names of the powerful men involved in their  sex-trafficking ring.  Trump responded first by saying that he didn’t know, that he hadn’t been following the case too much.  Not all that believable but all things considered a good response but then he went on adding “I just wish her well, frankly. I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach…. But I wish her well, whatever it is.” Who doesn’t wish someone accused of pedophilia well?!  Anyway, that response sounded a lot like both an admission of guilt and a not so subtle message to Maxwell that good things come to those who refrain from implicating him in their crimes.  Don’t be surprised if Roger Stone turns up on her visitation list, who better to reinforce that message than the last person Trump gifted with a get out of jail free card.  By the way, Michael Cohen, who cooperated with prosecutors, is still cooling his heels in solitary confinement, well given the heat wave, he’s probably sweating, a lot.

Civil Wars:  Trump’s alarming war on Democratic cities continues and probably will rage on unless and maybe even after he gets slapped down by a court or two as he appears to be convinced that rounding up graffiti artists and the occasional monument defacer helps his election prospects even in the face of pushback from his own Secretary of Defense, the increasingly outspoken Esper, and ex Pennsylvania Governor/Homeland Security Head Tom Ridge who said it’s not Homeland’s role to act as domestic law enforcement and that it would be a cold day in hell before a personal militia would be allowed in his state. Though Trump’s efforts to have undocumented immigrants excluded from the census were rebuffed by the Supreme Court earlier this year, he’s moved on to plan B.  Yesterday he directed the federal government not to count undocumented immigrants when allocating House districts, a move that goes against precedent, would help Republicans and probably violates the Constitution but that does please his anti-immigrant base.  Court challenges are expected. Though another virus relief package is in the works, the details remain up in the air with Republicans fighting over what should be included, and that’s before they even sit down with Democrats.  Republican Senators, especially those up for reelection are pushing for testing and tracing money,  CDC funding and mostly oppose Trump’s push to cut payroll taxes, a nonstarter for Democrats who want to provide money to the unemployed rather than to those who have jobs.   House Republicans are also engaging in some internal battles, where characters such as the Freedom Caucus’ “Gym” Jordan and Florida’s DUI king Matt Gaetz have been attacking Wyoming’s Liz Cheney, the GOP Conference chair, for having the nerve to support Dr Fauci and for breaking with Trump on a few defense issues.  Apparently her failure to show total fealty to the orange king is a bigly problem for them.  There’s nothing like watching nervous Republicans feed on each other.  And of course because Trump is Trump and at the end of the day everything is about advancing his own business interests, last night the NY Times reported that he “urged” US Ambassador to the UK/Jet’s owner Woody Johnson to get the British government to “steer” the British Golf Open to Trump Turnberry, his financially suffering Scottish golf property.  Lewis Lukens, Johnson’s deputy, a  long term diplomat, who advised Johnson that pursuing Trump’s request would be a bigly ethical lapse was subsequently fired for doing so.  By the way the NY Times reports that despite Lukens’ advice, good old Woody asked the Brits to award the Open to Trump’s resort but that his request was ignored.