From CBS News/YouGov:
- OHIO: Biden 47%, Trump 47%
- PENNSYLVANIA: Biden 51%, Trump 44%
Big Majority Say Trump Was Reckless Handling Virus
A new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds nearly 3 out of every 4 Americans doubt that President Trump took seriously the threat posed to his well-being nor the steps necessary to avoid contracting the virus.
Biden’s National Lead Doubles
Joe Biden’s national lead over President Donald Trump nearly doubled after Tuesday’s presidential debate, with voters saying by a 2-to-1 margin that Biden has the better temperament to be president, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Biden is now ahead of Trump by 14 points among registered voters, 53% to 39% — up from his 8-point lead in the previous poll before the debate.
Said pollster Jeff Horwitz: “The clear loser from the debate was Donald Trump.”
Trump Aide Tests Positive
One of Trump’s personal assistants has tested positive for coronavirus, Bloomberg reports.
Nick Luna, as bodyman, works in very close proximity to the president so it’s not surprising. However, Luna is married Cassidy Dumbauld, who is an aide to Jared Kushner.
Trump Faces Major Credibility Crisis
“One month from Election Day, President Trump is facing a credibility crisis as yawning as his health crisis, at a moment when he needs the public’s trust the most,” the AP reports.
“The president’s coronavirus infection, as well as the illnesses of several aides and allies, has imperiled the highest levels of the U.S. government. The White House’s efforts Saturday to project calm backfired in stunning fashion, resulting in a blizzard of confusing and contradictory information about the health and well-being of the commander in chief.”
“It’s a moment months in the making, the collision of Trump’s repeated defiance of his own administration’s guidelines for staying safe during the pandemic and his well-known disregard for facts. The result: deep uncertainty for Americans over who and what to believe about the health of the nation’s leader at a perilous moment in U.S. history.”
Bloomberg: Trump tempted fate long before Rose Garden coronavirus cluster.
Biden Widens Lead Nationally
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds Joe Biden opened his widest lead in a month in the U.S. presidential race after President Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, 51% to 41%.
A majority of Americans — 65% — think Trump could have avoided infection if he had taken the virus more seriously.
Trump Faked Photos Showing Him ‘At Work’
The White House has released photos which purport to show President Trump “at work” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
However, a close up of one photo shows Trump signing his name to a blank sheet of paper.
Trump ‘Not Yet Out of the Woods’
White House physician Sean Conley said in a statement Saturday night that President Trump is “not yet out of the woods,” but the medical team “remains cautiously optimistic.”
No Plans for Pence to Take Over Trump’s Duties
“President Trump remains on the job despite his hospitalization for covid-19 and there are no plans for Vice President Pence to assume even temporary authority as president, the first full day of Trump’s inpatient treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,” the Washington Post reports.
“Under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, Pence would assume the full authority of the presidency if Trump were to die or become unable to perform his duties. But although the amendment, ratified in 1967, was intended to clear up ambiguities in the original 18th-century document, it is not clear what exactly constitutes being incapacitated, and language about who makes that call has never been tested.”
Businesses Shut for Deep Cleaning After Ivanka Visit
Three retail businesses in Charlotte, North Carolina closed for deep cleaning after a visit from Ivanka Trump, the Charlotte Business Journal reports.
Trump Allies Wonder If Outbreak Was Political Attack
Gabriel Sherman reports that some Trump allies “are entertaining conspiracy theories that the White House outbreak was caused by someone with political motives.”
Said one prominent Republican: “It’s weird that all these Republicans are getting it. I don’t know what the fuck is going on. But one thing I’ve learned is: when something major happens thirty days before an election, it usually has to do with the election.”
Biden Traverses the Battleground Map
Politico: “In a role reversal, the president who mocked his rival for being weak and hiding ‘in his basement’ is stuck in isolation under doctors’ supervision while Biden jets off to states like Michigan on Friday and Florida on Monday, with the battleground map all to himself.”
“It’s a contrast the Biden campaign intends to sharpen as long as Trump is sidelined from coronavirus. Only a month remains until Election Day, and a record 3.2 million Americans already cast early ballots in 21 states, with Democrats out-voting Republicans so far.”
Doctors Gave Trump an Ultimatum
Two sources tell Gabriel Sherman that doctors gave President Trump an ultimatum on Friday: “he could go to the hospital while he could still walk, or doctors would be forced to take him in a wheelchair or on a stretcher at a later point if his health deteriorated… Trump waited to leave for the hospital until the stock market closed on Friday.”
“After spending months denying the dangers of COVID-19, Trump is expressing an emotion aides have rarely seen: fear. On Friday, Trump grew visibly anxious as his fever spiked to 103 Fahrenheit and he was administered oxygen at the White House… Two sources told me Trump experienced heart palpitations on Friday night—possible side effects of the experimental antibody treatment he received. Trump has wondered aloud if he could defeat the disease.”
“Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has told Republicans that the next few days will be critical to determine the virus’s outcome.”
Trump Releases Video from Hospital
President Trump released a four-minute video of him talking from Walter Reed Medical Center.
New York Times: “He looked wan and sounded less energetic than usual in a rambling message that included campaign talk and boasts about his record.”
His explanation for why he had gone to the hospital was muddled and unclear: “I had no choice. I just didn’t want to stay in the White House. I can’t be locked up in a room upstairs and totally safe and just say, hey, whatever happens happens. I can’t do that. We have to confront problems.”
Top Aides Want Texas Attorney General Investigated
“Top aides of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) have asked federal law enforcement authorities to investigate allegations of improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other potential crimes against the state’s top lawyer,” the Austin American Statesman reports.
“Their decisions to report possible illegal activity involving their employer represents a stunning development in an agency that prizes loyalty, particularly from within Paxton’s inner circle. It places a renewed spotlight on Paxton, who is already under indictment for alleged securities fraud.”
Paxton is also the co-chair of Lawyers for Trump.
Biden Will Release Every Coronavirus Test
“Joe Biden’s campaign said Saturday it will now disclose the results of every coronavirus test the candidate takes, following increased pressure for more transparency after President Trump recently tested positive for the virus and Vice President Pence has released results for two consecutive days,” the Washington Post reports.
Johnson Went to Oktoberfest After Getting Virus Test
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) “attended an Oktoberfest fundraising dinner on Friday evening while he was awaiting the test results that would show he was infected with COVID-19,” the Madison Capital Times reports.
“The Wisconsin Republican chose to attend the bash even though he knew that President Trump and many of his inner circle had tested positive for the coronavirus.”
Chris Christie In the Hospital
Former Gov. Chris Christie announced he has checked himself into the hospital after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
He said he has a history of asthma.
