Trump news: President smears vaccine whistleblower as coronavirus shutdown sees US unemployment claims soar to 36m
President claims testing is 'overrated' and demands allies investigate Obama as global death toll tops 300,000
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump lashed out at Dr Rick Bright, who blew the whistle on the president’s efforts to promote an unproven anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a remedy for coronavirus, ahead of his appearance before Congress on Thursday as the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits because of the shutdown climbed to 36m.
Those developments followed the president calling on the states to reopen their schools as soon as possible as part of lockdown-ending measures, contradicting the advice of top expert Dr Anthony Fauci on the highly dubious basis that coronavirus has “very little impact on young people”.
His remarks following more than 1.4m cases of Covid-19 and a death toll of more than 84,500 and as New York and 14 other states began investigating the possible outbreak of a coronavirus-related illness impacting children, some fatally.
The global death toll reached more than 300,000 on Thursday, with deaths in the US accounting for nearly a third of that towering figure.
After his whistle-blower complaint revealed the administration's attempts to dismiss warnings and award lucrative pharmaceutical contracts to White House connections, Dr Bright's testimony warned Americans that a "window" for an effective response against the pandemic is beginning to close as he urged Congress and the administration to lead with science and adapt a national testing strategy as nearly every state begins to ease quarantine efforts.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has dismissed allegations in the complaint, and the president claims he doesn't know Dr Bright, who was charged with the relatively important task of vaccine development, though the president called him a "disgruntled employee".
The president meanwhile stopped in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for another White House-sponsored campaign stop in which he attacked his political rival Joe Biden, talked about "globalists" and claimed "it's a beautiful thing to see" health workers "running into death just like soldiers running into bullets".
He also claimed that coronavirus testing "is, frankly, overrated" while also claiming that the US has the best testing "in the world".
The president told a workers at a medical supply distribution centre: "When you test, you have a case. When you test you find something is wrong with people. If we didn't do any testing, we would have very few cases."
He also called on his Republican ally Senator Lindsey Graham to call Barack Obama to testify in his fishing-expedition "Obamagate" conspiracy. The senator said "that would open up a can of worms".
"I think it would be a bad precedent to compel a former president to come before the Congress," he said. "For a variety of reasons, I don't think that's a good idea."
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Mask manufacturer condemns Republicans who attacked whistle-blower
Mike Bowen, the mask manufacturer who reportedly emailed Dr Rick Bright "we're in deep s***" as the nation faced dramatic shortage in medical supplies, hit back at Republican congressman who tried to undermine the whistle-blower's testimony.
Mr Bowen, vice president of Prestige Ameritech and a self-described Republican who voted for Donald Trump, told the House Committee: "I watched this ... Everyone beating up on Dr Bright was a Republican ... I admire Dr Bright."
Coronavirus deaths surpass 300,000 worldwide
As US officials hear testimony about the administration's chaotic response to the coronavirus, the nation has roughly a quarter of all global deaths as a worldwide death toll tops more than 300,000.
Trump says testing is 'overrated'
Appearing at a medical supply distribution centre in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump — making an official White House visit, not a campaign rally — has slammed his political rival Joe Biden, said that "globalists ... don't know what the hell they're doing," and suggests coronavirus testing is "overrated."
As he does at his rallies, he appeared onstage at the centre to campaign rally theme "God Bless the USA" then left to the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want".
"We have the best testing in the world," he said. "Could be that testing is, frankly, overrated. Maybe it is overrated. But whenever they start yelling we want more, we want more."
He is tested every day.
Trump: Health workers are 'running into death just like soldiers into bullets'
Last month, Donald Trump said that coronavirus-impacted hospitals were a "beautiful thing" and invoked war-movie imagery to describe the heroism of doctors and nurses.
He did the same in Pennsylvania today, saying "it's a beautiful thing to see" health workers "running into death just like soldiers running into bullets".
The constant drumbeat of comparing American workers to the military has apparently normalised Covid-19's devastating toll.
Lindsey Graham on Trump's demand to force Obama to testify: 'I don't think that's a good idea'
After Donald Trump pressed Senator Lindsey Graham to subpoena former president Barack Obama over the president's latest conspiracy-laden file-fishing expedition that he refuses to explain, the senator says it would set a bad precedent.
"That would open up a can of worms," he said. "For a variety of reasons, I don't think that's a good idea."
New York transit system to receive 'expedited' relief from White House: 'Spend it wisely'
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he talked with Donald Trump this morning about the state's looming fiscal crisis as the MTA, the largest transit authority in the US, has seen a massive decline in ridership during the pandemic.
Subways have also been shutdown during late-night and early-morning hours for deep cleanings.
He said: "I spoke with President Trump this morning. We spoke again about the state funding issues. He heard me out. I also asked him to expedite certain payments and he's expediting $3.9bn to the MTA ... which desperately needs funding because the ridership is way down, and the president cut red tape and actually sent the first installment today. So I'm grateful for that and I thank him."
The president announced the funding in a tweet on Thursday, warning the governor and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to "spend it wisely".
Trump campaign invokes nursing home imagery in Biden attack ads
Maybe not the best time.
Donald Trump's reelection campaign is targeting Joe Biden's age in its latest digital ad blitz. (They're a few years apart.) One image shows Mr Biden being spoonfed in a nursing home — in more than a dozen states, half of reported deaths from coronavirus were in nursing homes. More than 30,00 people have died in long-term care facilities, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Trump ally says making Obama testify would 'open up a can of worms' and set a 'bad precedent'
Barack Obama's apparent response to the fishing expedition in Donald Trump's "Obamagate" demands?
"Vote."
John T Bennett on the latest:
Naked doll hanging by a noose prompts fight at armed anti-lockdown protest in Michigan
In another disturbing scene from the lockdown protests across the US, a fight broke out between anti-lockdown protesters in Michigan after one began waving an American flag with a doll tied to the pole by a noose around its neck.
Justin Vallejo reports:
Mar-a-Lago to reopen on Saturday
Donald Trump's Florida resort has told its members that the club will partially reopen this weekend. Visitors will have to adhere to social distancing guidelines but otherwise are free to return. The spa, gym and tennis courts will remain closed.
The president last visited the property in March.
Mar-a-Lago's reopening follows several other Trump properties that have reopened in recent weeks, including golf courses in New Jersey and and Virginia.
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