Trump news – live: Fauci issues stern warning to president's campaign on Covid as Amy Coney Barret grilled on guns, abortion
Follow the latest updates
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump’s third nomination to the Supreme Court, is on Capitol Hill for another day of senate confirmation hearings amid a backdrop of outcry from Democrats over Republican-led efforts to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during an election season in which 10 million Americans have already voted.
The federal judge faced tough questions from Democratic senators and declined to reveal whether she would support overturning key rulings on the Affordable Care Act and Roe v Wade, which, respectively, provides insurance protections for millions and ensures access to women’s reproductive health care options nationwide.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has also addressed questions from the president and his allies about so-called “court-packing” efforts, saying he was “not a fan” of adding seats to the nation’s top court in an interview on Monday. Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading epidemiologist, has warned the Trump campaign against a blitz of in-person events its planning across the country, telling CNN about the rise of new Covid-19 cases: “The data speaks for itself.”
Check out The Independent’s live updates and coverage below:
Trump discovers Brigette Gabriel’s Twitter account
No fewer than 12 (!) of the president’s fever dream retweets this morning have been from this right-wing national security nut’s account.
You can almost smell the fresh crazy.
Trump 'misled Fox News' over when he heard about Hope Hicks' Covid-19 result
The president continues to risk his friendship with a key media ally, it appears, after again disparaging Fox on Twitter last night.
As you will no doubt recall, Trump called into Sean Hannity’s show on the evening of 1 October, hours before announcing his own coronavirus diagnosis, and, when asked about his senior aide Hope Hicks testing positive for coronavirus, said he had “just” heard about it.
However, a report by The Washington Post claims that Hicks received her positive test result in the morning and that she immediately informed the president.
Even after learning of her diagnosis, Trump appears to have continued with his activities for the day, which included attending a fundraiser, without a mask, at his golf club in New Jersey.
What’s more, he had already returned a positive test before he spoke to Hannity and declined to tell him about it, denying his bread-and-butter network a major exclusive.
Trump 'misled Fox News' over when he heard about Hope Hicks' Covid-19 result
Trump also did not disclose that he had already received a positive rapid test result when he appeared on Fox News
‘It’s going to be one of those days. Plan accordingly’
My colleague, Andrew Feinberg, sums up this morning’s Twitter activity from the president thusly:
Even Trump appears to admit there’s a problem with the “tone” of his tweets here (we’re well north of 40 for the morning now).
Amy McGrath attacks McConnell and Trump over handling of pandemic during Kentucky debate
The Democratic challenger seeking to unseat Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell attacked his and the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic during their debatein Kentucky last night, saying she scored Washington’s response to the disaster “F”.
McGrath repeatedly referred to her background in the US military during the face-off and her experiences as a mother of three children.
“When you go into combat, you don't make excuses, you get the job done,” said McGrath, who served as a Marine fighter pilot and was the first woman to fly an active combat mission for the corps.
“He's the Senate majority leader. And all he can do right now is make excuses, in the middle of a national crisis. He has built a Senate – what was once the greatest deliberative body in the world – [that] cannot even function in the middle of a national crisis. And it's because of what he's built. That's why we’ve got to get rid of him.”
McConnell had threatened not to take part in the debate if there was a female moderator (booo!). In the end, the hour-long debate was overseen a male broadcaster, WKYT's Bill Bryant.
Andrew Buncombe has this report.
Amy McGrath scores Mitch McConnell and Trump 'F' over handling of pandemic
Two sides expected to spend combined total of $100m in closely-watch Senate race
North Dakota farmer ploughs Biden-Harris endorsement into field
Check this out from lifelong Democrat, cattle rancher and grain farmer Peter Larson.
Louise Hall has more on his decision to sacrifice a sizeable portion of his soybean crop to back the Dem ticket.
North Dakota farmer ploughs Biden-Harris endorsement into field
The farmer, a lifelong Democrat, said he wanted to encourage people to vote with the grand gesture
‘For the good of America and the world, give Trump a full presidential pardon’
For Indy Voices, Sean O’Grady offers his take on the consequences of an election defeat for this president and puts in an appeal for clemency rather than legal persecution.
Opinion: For the good of America and the world, give Trump a full presidential pardon
As with the resignation and pardon of Richard Nixon in 1974, the country has to heal from the trauma of the past few years
Kanye West releases first presidential campaign ad 22 days before vote
Yeesh Yeezy.
Clemence Michallon has this on the hip hop superstar’s rather half-hearted midlife crisis bid for the Oval Office.
Kanye West releases first presidential campaign ad 22 days before vote
Clip invokes faith and prayer and urges voters to write in the rapper
Trump bullies Fauci: 'Tony’s pitching arm is far more accurate than his prognostications’
In amongst the president’s bizarre tweetstorm this morning was this nasty crack at Fauci, revenge for him kicking up a fuss about the Trump team using his quote out of context for a campaign ad.
Otherwise, his latest MAGA dispatches have been the usual spurious mail fraud hysteria and lies about healthcare.
Here’s Andrew Naughtie’s report.
Trump says Dr Fauci’s Covid forecasts were worse than his baseball pitch
Adviser has complained that his words have been taken out of context to produce a Trump campaign ad in Michigan
Trump steaks enjoy unexpected revival
Before we get to today’s session in the Senate as the confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett’s elevation to the Supreme Court continue, here’s a strange phenomenon cropping on Twitter lately.
To resemble a steak once is unfortunate. To do so twice begins to look like carelessness.
The president of course had his own line of “Trump Steaks” off the back of his Apprentice fame, you might recall.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments