“To Joe, I would say stop playing politics with the virus. Too serious. Partisan politics has no place here,” the president says while delivering an attack on his election opponent from the White House briefing room.
Expect a brag on the Israel UAE agreement, a dodge on sabotaging the postal service, and workshopping on attacking Biden-Harris. He cannot let the questioning last more than 15 minutes, because he’s already said too much out loud.
While President Trump has long railed against mail-in voting, falsely claiming it leads to rampant fraud, he appeared to confirm Thursday morning that he opposes Democrats’ proposed boost in funding for the U.S. Postal Service because he wants to make it harder to expand voting by mail.
Trump gave that explanation during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business Network after she asked why the White House and congressional Democrats are still miles apart on approving a new stimulus deal.
Trump said one major factor is the Democrats’ push for an injection of funds into the U.S. Postal Service to expand voting by mail
[…]
“The president of the United States is sabotaging a basic service that hundreds of millions of people rely upon, cutting a critical lifeline for rural economies and for delivery of medicines, because he wants to deprive Americans of their fundamental right to vote safely during the most catastrophic public health crisis in over 100 years — a crisis so devastatingly worsened by his own failed leadership that we are now the hardest hit country in the world by the coronavirus pandemic,” Biden campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.
“Trump’s reaction to the success of a woman of color was to warn White voters that people of color might move in next door. All elected Republicans who regard this as an effective political strategy have officially lost whatever marbles they retained.” https://t.co/LDMslXxLeI
— Michael Gerson (@MJGerson) August 13, 2020
If the Democrats refuse to impeach the President for sabotaging an election in broad daylight (and admitting to it on camera) what is left of our democracy? https://t.co/rxmPyrnXHN
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) August 13, 2020
It would be great if you added that Israel and UAE were already allies & he actually isn't doing anything here except trying to distract from all of the terrible he's really doing #TrumpFailedAmerica https://t.co/SOAPSpJTsk
— Tara Dublin #RIPRBG #BidenHarris2020 (@taradublinrocks) August 13, 2020
.@ElieNYC is always thinking of how to get the handcuffs on, for which America should be grateful.
Promising a Nobel—like a truckload of coke—to get Trump to an Oslo arrest point is an ace operation. I'm seeing a livestream. https://t.co/iZDweZ36jd
— Virginia Heffernan (@page88) August 13, 2020
"From golden showers in a sex club in Vegas, to tax fraud, to deals with corrupt officials from the former Soviet Union, to catch and kill conspiracies to silence Trump’s clandestine lovers, I wasn’t just a witness to the president’s rise—I was an active and eager participant." https://t.co/LKrvmZDfQY
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) August 13, 2020
Trump has figured out how to do political rallies during a pandemic: just call them "news conferences," have them at the White House, and you'll get tons of coverage of your partisan screeds.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2020
This is not Trump being asked questions and ad-libbing about Biden – he came out to read a prepared speech attacking Biden.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2020
Trump says Biden's immigration policy would allow "the pandemic to infiltrate every US community." The pandemic already exists across the United States.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2020
"To Joe, I would say stop playing politics with the virus. Too serious. Partisan politics has no place here," the president says while delivering an attack on his election opponent from the White House briefing room.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2020
Blah-blah, now on governors Scott Atlas is now the anti-Fauci. Atlas is the only advisor present today.
Now whining about how Biden never takes questions (not true)
A sleepy-sounding Trump explains that he's against a national mask mandate because he thinks people should "have a certain freedom." pic.twitter.com/Hv0fVDzjSS
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2020
Trump now considers wearing masks in the “whatdoyouhavetolose” rhetorical category (used in the case of taking hydroxychloroquine and being Black and voting for Trump)
LOL Trump claims the administration approach is guided by science
claims Biden will bring a crippling long-term depression
More Trump blah-blah on stock market
“shut-downs” are punitive” Trump dwelling on suicide again
More Trump bafflegab on ventilators, etc.
Trump accuses Biden of “plagiarizing” stretching that media framing
Trump empty-promising again (not any different than a week’s worth of such pressers.
MSNBC and CNN are not covering it — will probably cut back once questions start.
Now Trump pimps the Israel-UAE normalization of relations (tries to make it sound like Egypt-Israel accords (it isn’t) — it is about tourism. UAE was one of the non-muslim ban countries in 2017. He’s desperate to distract.
QUESTIONS
Q: school-age kids and meals?
Trump goes blah-blah about schools open (seems like a set-up) and whining polling booths at schools (this is another Trump saying things out loud)
Trump then added that maybe he’ll be able to prove this (non-fact) as a fact at some point. https://t.co/moZJpHiztv
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2020
Q: How long will Israel will suspend annexation of West Bank
Trump throws it to David Friedman US ambassador to Israel — punts
follow-up why no Palestinians? Trump: “others will be following”
Q: was the deal possible without annexation
Friedman punts,
Trump says Israel has agreed not to do West Bank annexation. Netanyahu says it’s a temporary suspension.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2020
Q: threatening stopping USPS funding? (Kaitlin Collins)
Trump says no, goes usual Trump BS (VA, Maloney, Paterson NJ, blah-blah)
Trump insists on disinforming about absentee ballots same blah-blah with Congressional funding. Claims the “people are not being taken care of” tries to blame China for Congressional impasse. (Trump is against “state bailouts” even as there were corporate giveaways in prior legislation).
Trump goes BS in extended exchange with Collins, maintains his contradictory logic from days ago. Trump whines about $3 Billion which is not the issue, keeps repeating VA meme (it’s about applications not ballots) Tries to blame China again.
TRUMP: "The people will have to go to the polls and vote, like the old days … it means the universal mail-ins don't work."
COLLINS: Even if they don't feel safe?
TRUMP: "They're gonna have to feel safe." pic.twitter.com/zyP97Oe4jl
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2020
Trump continues today to misstate things that weren't examples of fraudulent voting to oppose what he calls fraudulent voting. Says people need to vote in person: "We will make sure they're safe," he says. Meantime the pandemic rages, making people feel less safe.
— Cathleen Decker (@cathleendecker) August 13, 2020
Q: How does Israel-UAE help persecuted Christians in the Middle East?
Trump punts, goes BS “I would do a number to those countries like you never believe”
Q: Kudlow on phase 1 of trade deal and TikTok?
Trump goes baffle gab mentions 15 September deadline, veers to corn and soybeans “maybe they’re (China) trying to make me change my mind”
Q: annexation should be off the table (re: Israel-UAE)?
Trump punts — goes blah-blah “suspend”
Q: reversing policies at USPS “What are you doing to ensure a free and fair election”
Trump punts, goes into his weird circular logic again, trying to punishing governors of Democratic states. “all they have to make a deal”
Trump goes to his CT about China Russia, Iran, DPRK printing bogus ballots. Tries to blame PBO (it was McConnell) in 2016
Trump falsely claims that Russia, China, North Korea and Iran can easily “grab” mail ballots or “print forgeries” and “have a field day.” Not at all true. Here’s a thread from an expert: https://t.co/5PYWCKmxpX
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2020
Q: “After three and a half years, do you regret all the lies you’ve told the American people?”
Trump skips to next question, because he never admits he lies
Kudos to @svdate for asking this question https://t.co/YaTDwxhUiD
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2020
Q: payroll tax cut? asks about deferral
Trump goes BS
Q: Asks birther question about Harris (Eastman BS)
Trump punts “I’ll look into it”
This is how Trump does his birther lying – just-asking-questions, maybe-true-maybe-not, check-it-out. It’s garbage. https://t.co/jxYnNx4yCG
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2020
Trump then goes even further, asking if Harris doesn’t qualify because she wasn’t born in the US. The reporter explains that that’s not what the (again, ridiculous) claim is. https://t.co/jxYnNx4yCG
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 13, 2020
That should be the first question to Pence in the debate. Is she eligible and why does his boss try to delegitimize Blacks. If he doesn't answer, keep pushing until he does.
— Jennifer 'Vote Early' Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) August 13, 2020
The pick has also stirred up misinformation. From @APFactCheck:
NO, Harris did not threaten Trump fans with ‘vengeance of a nation’ https://t.co/I7OcPsW9M3
NO, Harris did not call Biden a racist https://t.co/hcwXURwVfH
YES, Harris is eligible to serve https://t.co/55uJVrJ4k1
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) August 12, 2020
Q: OANN? transfers turn to an Epoch Times (whoa!) reporter question on Hong Kong
Trump punts
Trump flees 610pmET
