Trump returns to White House, seemingly indifferent about who he infects with the coronavirus
President Donald Trump staged a dramatic return to the White House Monday night after leaving the military hospital where he was receiving an unprecedented level of care for COVID-19. He immediately ignited a new controversy by declaring that despite his illness the nation should not fear the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans — and then he entered the White House without a protective mask.
Trump’s message alarmed infectious disease experts and suggested the president’s own illness had not caused him to rethink his often-cavalier attitude toward the disease, which has also infected the first lady and several White House aides, including new cases revealed Monday. [Continue reading…]
The Republican mayor of Miami said Donald Trump shouldn’t come to his city for the Oct. 15 debate with Joe Biden if the president is still testing positive with Covid-19.
“I don’t think it’s safe, not for him and anybody else, anywhere or anyone he interacts with,” Mayor Francis Suarez told POLITICO.
“Remember, this thing is highly contagious,” Suarez said. “How many people are infected in his inner circle, in the White House, senators, et cetera?”
The concerns of Suarez, which are shared by several other Miami-Dade County officials, add another layer of controversy to the president’s conduct while he’s positive for the virus, and reflect the tensions in behind-the-scenes discussions between the Biden and Trump campaigns as they negotiate over whether and how to have a safe, in-person debate. [Continue reading…]
The chairman of the Senate committee that oversees airlines and U.S. transportation policy had his mask off for extended periods on a Delta flight to Mississippi on Thursday night, according to another passenger, and the company said he had to be reminded twice by a flight attendant to follow the airline’s mask requirement.
The next day, the Trump administration rejected a union petition calling for a federal mandate requiring masks be worn on planes, trains and buses, saying the Department of Transportation “embraces the notion that there should be no more regulations than necessary.” [Continue reading…]