Archives for October 2020

The Trump Campaign is accusing the Commission on Presidential Debates of foul play once again after moderator Kristen Welker announced the topics for the third and final presidential debate.

Kristen Welker, co-anchor of NBC’s ‘Weekend Today’ show, announced last Friday that the third debate would cover Fighting COVID-19, American Families, Race in America, Climate Change, National Security, and Leadership. The following Monday, Trump Campaign Manager Bill Stepien wrote a scathing letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates, or to the “Biden Debate Commission,” as he referred to them on Twitter. 

The letter proclaimed “great concern over the announced topics,” alleging that both campaigns had acknowledged that the final debate would be focused on foreign policy, following the tradition of a “Foreign Policy Debate” capstone.

“As is the long-standing custom, and as had been promised by the Commission on Presidential Debates,” Bill Stepien wrote, “we had expected that foreign policy would be the central focus of the October 22 debate.”

The Biden Campaign denied that any such arrangement had been made, pointing out instead that the Commission had explicitly left the selection of debate topics up to the moderators. Biden’s national press secretary, TJ Ducklo, further suggested that the Trump Campaign is lying in an attempt to avoid answering questions on the President’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, reported The Hill.

“The campaigns and the Commission agreed months ago that the debate moderator would choose the topics,” said TJ Ducklo. “The Trump campaign is lying about that now because Donald Trump is afraid to face more questions about his disastrous COVID response. As usual, the president is more concerned with the rules of a debate than he is getting a nation in crisis the help it needs.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates has also announced that they will be muting the opposing candidate’s microphone during the initial two minutes allotted for each candidate to answer the moderator’s questions, after which the candidates are granted 15 minutes to engage with one another normally, reports The New York Times.

Asked late Monday about what he thought of the current debate developments, President Trump said, “I just think it is very unfair.” He added, “It is very unfair that again we have an anchor who is totally biased.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates maintains that the changes were made in an effort to better insure a conversation around policy occurs at the debates. “We are comfortable that these actions strike the right balance and that they are in the interest of the American people, for whom these debates are held,” said the commission.

The final debate is scheduled for Thursday, October 22nd at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will be competing for viewership for their own, respective town halls tonight after their debate originally planned by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates was rejected by President Trump.

After President Trump tested positive for coronavirus, the Commission announced that the second presidential debate would move to a virtual format with each candidate participating remotely. President Trump, however, refused to participate, calling a virtual debate “ridiculous.”  “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate,” the President said. “It’s not what debating is all about.”

The Commission on Presidential Debates subsequently decided to cancel the debate originally scheduled for tonight, citing “a series of statements concerning” each campaign’s “willingness to participate in a virtual debate,” according to their statement.

“It is now apparent there will be no debate on October 15, and the CPD will turn its attention to preparations for the final presidential debate scheduled for October 22,” the statement said.

The Biden Campaign scheduled a town hall with ABC News soon after the official debate fell through, reported CNN. And, just as the controversy seemed over, NBC News announced that they would also be hosting a town hall, this one for the Trump Campaign, during the same hour as Joe Biden’s town hall. NBC faced sharp backlash from prominent journalists, including Rachel Maddow, Katie Couric and Jeff Greenfield, for scheduling the town hall in direct competition with ABC, reported The Washington Post.

“Y’all sign my checks of late but I’m disgusted by my home network giving Trump a platform for fear mongering, bigotry and disinformation,” wrote Katie Couric, former host of NBC’s “Today” show, on Twitter.

Now, despite all the drama leading up to them, there are two town halls to look forward to tonight. You can watch Joe Biden’s town hall on ABC, or stream it through ABC News Live, starting at 8pm ET. It is scheduled to last one hour plus a half hour of post-event coverage. The event will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

President Trump’s town hall will also air at 8pm ET, but will only last one hour. The event will be moderated by NBC’s “Today” Show co-anchor, Savannah Guthrie at an outdoor area of the Perez Art Museum in Miami. Guthrie will be sitting 12 feet away from the President and officials at the National Institute of Health have assured the public that President Trump is “not shedding infectious virus.” You can watch it on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC or stream it through NBC News NOW, reports the Verge.

The third presidential debate, scheduled for October 22nd at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, will go as planned as both presidential candidates have agreed to attend.

President Donald Trump says he will not participate in the second presidential debate this October 15th after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that they are changing the debate format to a virtual town-hall in which “candidates would participate from separate remote locations,” reports Axios. 

The bipartisan commission made these changes shortly after President Trump and several of his campaign staff members tested positive for coronavirus, in order “to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate,” according to their statement. 

The President responded to the news, saying, “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. It’s not what debating is all about. … It’s ridiculous.” Trump Campaign Manager Bill Stepien took a more accusatory stance, complaining that the decision was “extremely suspect,” and that the campaign would “pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.” 

Joe Biden’s campaign says they are willing to participate in the virtual debate, but that they would find an appropriate place to take voter questions if the President chooses not to participate. They also asked the Commission on Presidential Debates to change the third presidential debate, scheduled for October 22nd, to a town-hall format as well, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Co-chairman of the Commission on Presidential Debates, Frank Fahrenkopf, told USA Today that they cannot force the President to participate in the debates. “There’s no way you can force a presidential candidate to debate,” Fahrenkopf said. “It’s up to them whether they debate or not.”

Top Trump advisor, Larry Kudlow told Fox News that he expects the virtual debate to be “renegotiated” if Trump manages to present several negative COVID-19 tests prior to the debate, reports Mediaite. Bill Stepien echoed that sentiment, saying, “President Trump will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate, so there is no need for this unilateral declaration.” Nonetheless, the Trump campaign has offered an alternative solution; Stepien has suggested moving both of the scheduled presidential debates back a week to October 22nd and the 29th. 

“Voters should have the opportunity to directly question Biden’s 47-year failed record of leadership,” said Stepien. “We agree that this should happen on Oct. 22, and accordingly, the third debate should then be shifted back one week to Oct. 29.”

Fahrenkopf says that the Commission will stick to an in-person debate on October 22nd. When the 25-year veteran of the Commission on Presidential Debates was asked about the controversial decision, he said “I heard this morning, ‘Well, they should have consulted us.’ We never consult on these sorts of things, and we’ve been saying from the very beginning that we are going to follow the advice of the medical people who are advising us, the Cleveland Clinic.” He added, “They supported what we are doing. We are doing this for the safety of everyone involved.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, executive producer Dave Mandel, and the cast and crew from the hit HBO show ‘Veep’ in a virtual reunion fundraiser that raised more than $500K for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin on Sunday, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Mandel, who took over as showrunner and executive producer for the last three seasons, was approached by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin about a month before the event, shortly after the organization had helped sponsor a similar “Princess Bride,” reunion fundraiser. The invite promised that, “Anything you donate will be used to ensure that Trump loses Wisconsin, and thereby the White House.”

Mandel phoned the show’s star and co-producer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and the two of them sent an email to the rest of the cast — including Anna Chlumsky, Reid Scott, Sam Richardson, Tony Hale, Tim Simons, Clea DuVall and Matt Walsh, and surprise guests Dan Bakkedahl and Nelson Franklin — who were all happy to participate.

During the reunion, cast members answered fan questions, performed a virtual table read of five deleted scenes and a cast-wide competition to deliver the best Jonah Ryan insult (Gwen Moore won with a “real-life Wisconsin congresswoman”). One fan asked the cast, “What really happened on Labor Day?” — but Mandel refused to answer while teasing, “You never know when we’re going to be back and filming!”

The event, which had been planned several weeks ahead, was almost overshadowed after President Trump announced he tested positive for coronavirus the Friday before. The irony wasn’t lost on the production, which often joked about how to hide behind a shift in the news cycle. “It really upstaged us in a very almost Tom Hanks kind of way,” Mandel said, nodding to a major punchline in the show’s finale.

However, the cast-wide event decided to take the “high road” when it came to the President’s illness, focusing instead on urging voters and democratic supporters to help support the fight in Wisconsin, a key battleground state in the upcoming election. “When Trump got sick, we made a very conscious decision to say, let’s just leave him out of it,” said Mandel.

True to their word, the event included “an expletive-filled plea of electoral wisdom for Wisconsin voters from the duo of Congressman Roger Furlong (Bakkedahl) and his aide Will (Franklin),” writes Jackie Straus of The Hollywood Reporter, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus explained the importance of Wisconsin in the general election: “All roads to the White House go through the great state of Wisconsin. Trump can’t win reelection if he doesn’t win Wisconsin. So, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has built an unprecedented voter mobilization operation and they need resources in these final days to deliver Wisconsin to Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Harris. The future of democracy is on the line, people, and that’s why the cast of Veep is getting together for a virtual reunion with some special guests, too. You don’t want to miss this.”

In 2016, Hillary Clinton led in the polls against Donald Trump, much like Joe Biden is now, however the President won the state by fewer than 23,000 votes. “Wisconsin is going to be close, and it’s the best way to get Joe Biden in the White House,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus reminds the audience.

Still, the President did receive a few passing remarks, usually in reference to the serendipitous parallels between the fictional main character, Selina Meyer, and the bigger than life reality star in the Oval Office. “Selina began as somebody who was very self-centered and that focus on herself was completely reinforced by everyone around her,” said Julia Louis-Dreyfus of her character. “Nobody shut her down ever. Who does that sound like? So that massive ego grew and grew and grew until she absolutely did herself in with her own self at the end of the series.”

Mandel expressed frustration with running the show in the age of Trump. “Our best day doesn’t compare to the stuff this White House does on a regular hourly basis of incompetence and stupidity,” Mandel said. He also offered some poignant advice for the show’s fans: “Look, the show doesn’t exist with this guy in the White House. So, if people really want more Veep, it’s something to think about!” But at the end of the day, the showrunner was just happy to contribute to the fight against the sitting president, “It’s nice to be able to contribute. I’m doing everything I can here at the Mandel house. But there’s something really nice about being a part of something that could make a difference — and that half a million dollars in Wisconsin and people signing up to volunteer could do it.”

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread among staffers close to the President, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced that she has tested positive for coronavirus, Axios reports.

McEnany joins the ranks of at least 18 notable White House staff, journalists and Republican Congressman who have also tested positive after close contact with President Trump, including Campaign Manager Bill Stepien, Assistant to the President Nicholas Luna, Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway and Senators Mike Lee, Thom Tillis and Ron Johnson. Before testing positive, McEnany told reporters that the White House would not disclose a full list of staffers who had tested positive citing “privacy concerns.” McEnany said, “We take seriously safeguarding the information of personnel here in the White House.”

President Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive in the wee hours of the night following a fundraising trip to New Jersey last Thursday. During the morning before, public relations advisor Hope Hicks tested positive for coronavirus just before the President boarded Marine One for the fundraiser. Fox News reports that staff that were in close contact with Hicks were pulled from the trip, including Spokesman Judd Deere. McEnany was not on that trip. Trump’s personal physician, Dr. Sean Conley told reporters that the President had a “mild cough and some nasal congestion, fatigue,” before getting on the helicopter, reported Yahoo News.

In a press conference over the weekend, McEnany refused to clarify when President Trump’s last negative test had occurred prior to testing positive. “I’m not going to give you a detailed readout with time stamps every time he is tested,” she said. “He is tested regularly and the first positive test he received was after his return from Bedminster.”

Meanwhile, President Trump has posted several pictures of himself continuing to work at Walter Reed Hospital on Twitter, in hopes of maintaining an appearance of strength. Among the posts is a picture of President Trump signing a paper which appears to be blank, and a short video in which a cough was poorly edited out. Sunday, the President stirred controversy when he left Walter Reed in a motorcade to reassure and wave to supporters waiting outside the hospital.

Dr. Conley has presented an optimistic outlook for Trump’s illness over the weekend, however, after refusing to give any specific details about President Trump’s vitals, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows contradicted the President’s physician saying, “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.” Sources also confirmed that Donald Trump had received oxygen at the White House Friday at noon, not too long after receiving his positive test, despite Conley refusing to give many details on the matter.

The President tweeted that he is planning to be discharged by 6:30, Monday afternoon. However, there is still skepticism as to whether he is in recovery. According to Axios, Brian Garibaldi, a John Hopkins doctor familiar with President Trump’s situation, hinted that the President may leave the hospital while continuing treatment.

Contradictions and unclear messaging out of the White House has resulted in the emergence of conspiracy theories about the President’s condition, reports Yahoo News. David Simon, creator of “The Wire,” suggested that the entire story might be a staged incident in hopes of sparking an “October surprise” event. Simon suggested that, “Trump is claiming a positive test, will present as asymptomatic, or claim himself cured with bleach, then dismiss COVID again as a Democratic hoax? I’m wrong, right?”

Trump supporter and Conservative author Kurt Schlichter echoed this suggestion, writing “I’m not saying that Donald Trump is pretending to have COVID to cause the left to freak out in a frenzy of murder wishes and to wash all the garbage stories off the front page, but I’m not saying I’m not saying that.”

The fringe conspiracy group QAnon have also offered their opinion, saying that Donald Trump contracted coronavirus on purpose as a part of a grand scheme to arrest Hillary Clinton, reports Vice.