So, it now looks extremely likely that Trump does indeed have the virus (it would be the most extraordinary co-ordinated lie if not). It also seems that the Event held in the White House Rose Garden to celebrate the nomination of Amy Comey Barrett to the Supreme Court was a ‘super-spreader’ event (see image below – those tested positive so far circled!) Virtually no-one wore a face covering and the event ended with much handshaking and hugging and people meeting indoors! So far, the event seems to have been responsible for at least 12 cases!
1+2. President & Melania Trump
3. Bill Stepien, Trump campaign manager
4. Hope Hicks
5. Kellyanne Conway
6. Sen. Mike Lee
7. Sen. Thom Tillis
8. Ronna McDaniel, Chair of RNC
9. Notre Dame Pres. Jenkins
10-12. Three WH Reporters (hope they sue!)In addition, it appears that at least
11 staffers present at the Debate in Cleveland have tested positive!
Trump’s physicians made a statement, refused to answer reasonable questions, then walked back parts of their statement – especially regarding the timeline of events!It now appears likely that:
1. Amy Coney Barrett – Trump’s hideous, disastrous pick for the Supreme Court – and her family may well have spread the virus;
2. Trump may well have had a test and maybe even known he was positive before the first Debate and almost certainly before attending a big fundraising event the next day! It looks increasingly likely that both Coney Barrett and Trump have knowingly put others at risk!
I’d like to share this excellent post from my wonderful friend in New York, Nadine Witkin……..******OK folks. It’s becoming very apparent that Trump KNEW he tested positive BEFORE the debate. His doctors just slipped at their news conference, and pushed the timeline back 48 more hours. The Amy Coney Barrett Rose Garden event was a superspreader event. (Not to take away from Trump’s rallies with thousands of maskless, non social distanced groupies.) Coney Barrett was either still shedding virus (she herself, through her close friends, recently leaked to the press that she had just recovered from Covid – to reassure Congress she still had antibodies and was rearing to attend her confirmation hearings ASAP) – and either ACB herself, or her children – who may still have Covid if she “just recovered” – or Coney Barrett’s husband (who also admitted he was infected), could have spread it to Melania and the Trumps. (Are children tested for coronavirus at the White House?)
Republicans don’t want to admit the ACB Rose Garden ceremony was the biggest superspreader event.
According to sources, TRUMP has been getting oxygen treatments at the White House for DAYS. He arrived LATE to Tuesday’s debate – too late to be tested – and, according to Chris Wallace, “they” (whoever ran the event) didn’t make him get tested because of the ‘honor system’ – they took the White House’s false assurance that he’d been tested and was negative. It now appears to be half true. He’d been tested. And was POSITIVE. Hope Hicks is reportedly upset the “Media” is blaming Trump’s infection on her. (It’s NOT the Media. TRUMP himself threw Hope Hicks under the bus by tweeting she was the first to contract it and implying she’s the one who infected DJT, even though Hope Hicks also attended the Coney Barrett superspreader event.)
Melania sat closest to the Coney Barrett family and Donald spent hours alone with ACB and her family. (Kelly Anne Conway, who of course, now tests POSITIVE, sat directly behind Melania and the Coney Barrett family). People who met with Coney Barrett – including several Republican Congressmen and of course Trump himself – have now tested positive for the coronavirus that causes the disease Covid-19. Even the President of Notre Dame – where ACB teaches – who came to celebrate with her is now infected with coronavirus. Typhoid Amy! But the Republicans want to shift focus away from that event because they’re laser focused on ramming through Coney Barrett’s nomination.
Here’s another fact BEYOND any speculation whatsoever: Amy Coney Barrett is a top university professor. Even if she or her family were not the superspreaders – arguably, any one or more of the 100+ maskless, hugging and glad-handing attendees at the outdoor and indoor ceremonies that day could have been superspreaders – she still KNEW 100% she had just fallen ill with Covid-19 and recovered (though she tests negative now). Her HUSBAND said he also had Covid-19 (timeline unclear). Her children still could have been positive and infectious when they came to the Rose Garden. (unclear if they were tested). Yet, this is clear: she SELFISHLY and irresponsibly refused to wear a mask, refused to have her family wear masks AT ANY TIME and she refused to set an example for the nation!
Her attitude was obviously: ‘I have immunity from Covid, and I don’t care whether anybody else wears a mask, because I’ll be fine! If they get sick from my event, I don’t care because I’ll be fine!’ This is the future Supreme Court Justice who wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act in the middle of a pandemic, while she herself got the best health care money could buy. (She’s born rich: unsurprisingly, her father was a top corporate lawyer for the oil companies!) The only reason she even revealed she’d recovered from Covid is because it suits her agenda of wanting to sit for in person hearings – to reassure Congress she’s safe to be around. Otherwise, nobody would ever have known.
She’s sneaky! (Just like she failed to tell Congress she was signatory to an anti-abortion advertisement in the newspaper years earlier, despite being asked about it in a questionnaire.) What else are we going to find out about her? For all her professed piousness, Amy Coney Barrett has shown the world who she is, and we need to believe her: she’s a selfish, self-absorbed immoral, hypocritical, partisan careerist – and it would be scandalous for her to be appointed to the highest court in the land. Doesn’t give a damn about public health – so long as she’s fine! (Oh, and didn’t she vociferously oppose the appointment of Merrick Garland during a previous election year, while desperately lobbying for her own this election year, in case you don’t believe what a shameless hypocrite she is?)
Instead of boasting about what a perfect mom she is, she could have used her acceptance speech to remind people to take care of each other – and wear a mask. These are extraordinary times. Amy Coney Barrett’s feet are big, but she still doesn’t fit into Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s tiny shoes.
Now, should Trump be re-elected, and/or should Amy Coney Barrett be confirmed, I’m sure Hope Hicks will be handsomely rewarded for taking a hit for “the team”.
And one more note to ponder: Go back, look at the tape and listen to what Trump said about his rallies and about his own brilliant handling of the virus during Tuesday’s debate – in light of his probable knowledge of his own Positive status. Roy Cohn Redux!
(Thank you for this Nadine!)
Tom Lane
