held a rally that was fined for breaking COVID-19 mandates?

The first rally Trump held since June, on September 13, 2020, was issued a $3,000. A compliance officer noted six violations by the indoor venue regarding state COVID-19 regulations, which mandated an attendance limit of 50, the wearing of masks, and the practice of social distancing. The venue issued temperature checks, had hand sanitizers available, and handed out face masks, though there was no requirement for the crowd to wear them.

On Twitter, Trump said that the state’s Governor tried to require an outdoor venue, before going on to claim that the Governor would assist in rigging the election.

Axios – Trump rally site fined $3,000 for violating Nevada’s coronavirus guidelines
USA Today – Venue owner for Trump’s indoor Nevada rally fined $3,000 by city for violating COVID-19 rules
The Hill – Indoor Trump Nevada rally site fined $3,000 for violating state ban on large gatherings

refused to unveil Obama’s presidential portrait?

Since 1978, first-term presidents held ceremonies in the East Room to unveil the portraits of their immediate predecessors. Trump, who long accused the Obama administration of illegally spying, broke the four-decade-long tradition and refused to unveil Obama’s presidential portrait. Reports said that the Obama family also had little interest in attending any such event.

President Obama Unveils the Official Portrait of President George W. Bush | whitehouse.gov
2012 unveiling ceremony of Bush’s portrait. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

NBC News – White House portrait ceremony may be the latest casualty of the political divide
USA Today – Report: Trump won’t unveil Obama’s official White House portrait anytime soon
Business Insider – Trump is refusing to unveil Obama’s portrait at the White House, breaking a 40-year tradition

attacked Biden for failing to implement a national mask mandate?

During a September 16, 2020 town hall hosted by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Trump attacked Biden and Democrats for not passing a mask mandate. Biden held no office, and Democrats only had control of the US House of Representatives.

He went on to describe how people don’t like wearing masks:

TRUMP: Well, I do wear them when I have to and when I’m in hospitals and other locations. But I will say this. They said at the Democrat convention they’re going to do a national mandate. They never did it, because they’ve checked out and they didn’t do it.

And a good question is, you ask why Joe Biden — they said we’re going to do a national mandate on masks.

 

STEPHANOPOULOS: He’s called on all governors to have them. There’s a state responsibility…

 

TRUMP: Well no, but he didn’t do it. I mean, he never did it. Now there is by the way, a lot of people don’t want to wear masks. There are a lot of people think that masks are not good. And there are a lot of people that as an example you have…

 

STEPHANOPOULOS: Who are those people?

 

TRUMP: I’ll tell you who those people are — waiters. They come over and they serve you, and they have a mask. And I saw it the other day where they were serving me, and they’re playing with the mask…I’m not blaming them…I’m just saying what happens. They’re playing with the mask, so the mask is over, and they’re touching it, and then they’re touching the plate. That can’t be good.

During the same interview, Trump claimed that herd immunity, “like herd mentality,” meant that COVID-19 would disappear quickly even without a vaccine.

On the day of the town hall, the United States totaled 6,855,605 cases and 201,351 deaths.

ABC News – Trump’s ABC News town hall: Full transcript
Business Insider – Trump criticizes Biden at town hall for not issuing a national mask mandate — but Biden as a candidate has no authority to do so
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

claimed that Twitter was conspiring against him?

Trump has also had several tweets flagged by Twitter, including for misinformation about COVID-19 and spreading manipulated media of political opponent Joe Biden. In another instance, he tweeted false claims about Biden linked to Russian misinformation campaigns.

scrapped a USPS plan to send free masks to all Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

In April 2020, the USPS planned to deliver five reusable face masks to every residence and PO box. A press release had been drafted to announce the effort, but the plan was ultimately scrapped due to intervention from the Trump administration.

Instead, the Project America Strong program was established, which sought to distributed masks “to critical infrastructure sectors, companies, healthcare facilities, and faith-based and community organizations across the country.”

An administrative official explained that “There was concern from some in the White House Domestic Policy Council and the office of the vice president that households receiving masks might create concern or panic.”

The Washington Post – Newly revealed USPS documents show an agency struggling to manage Trump, Amazon and the pandemic
The Hill – White House nixed Postal Service plan to send face masks to every household in US: report
CNBC – White House abandoned plan to send 650 million face masks across the U.S. in April, report says

accused Biden of taking performance-enhancing drugs?

In an August 26, 2020 interview with The Washington Examiner, Trump claimed without evidence that his Democrat opponent for the 2020 election was taking performance-enhancing drugs.

He repeated the claim in a September 11, 2020 interview on Fox News.

He has also called for Biden to be tested for drugs on Twitter.

Trump repeatedly accused Biden of being mentally incompetent, while bragging about his own completion of a basic cognitive exam.

The Washington Examiner – Trump calls for drug tests before Biden debate
Forbes – Trump’s Latest Trolling Of Biden’s Mental State: Calling For Drug Tests Before Debates
Business Insider – President Trump baselessly accuses Biden of taking performance-enhancing drugs during primary debates

said science doesn’t know about climate change and that “it’ll get cooler, just you watch”?

Amid wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington that claimed dozens of lives, Trump visited the governor of California on September 14, 2020.

While being briefed on the fires, which left 10% of Oregon’s population under an evacuation order, Trump shrugged off concerns about climate change, saying instead that it would get cooler.

CROWFOOT: …I think we want to work with you to really recognize the changing climate and what it means to our forests and actually work together with that science, that science is going to be key, because if we ignore that science and put our head in the sand and think it’s all about vegetation management, we’re not going to succeed together protecting Californians.

TRUMP: Okay. It’ll start getting cooler.

CROWFOOT: I wish-

TRUMP: You just watch.

CROWFOOT: I wish science agreed with you.

TRUMP: Well, I don’t think science knows, actually. Tom, please.

The Defense Department long produced annual reports on climate change, acknowledging it as a national threat. The 2019 report specifically notes that “climatic factors including increased wind and drought can lead to an increased severity of wildfire activity.”

San Francisco’s red sky during the wildfires. Brittany Hosea-Small / AFP

The year prior to the exchange, threatened to withhold federal emergency funding from California because its Democrat governor was following “what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him.” Trump has rejected climate change repeatedly, referring to it as a “Chinese hoax.”

Associated Press – Trump spurns science on climate: ‘Don’t think science knows’
The New York Times – As Trump Again Rejects Science, Biden Calls Him a ‘Climate Arsonist’
NPR – ‘I Don’t Think Science Knows’: Visiting Fires, Trump Denies Climate Change
US Department of Defense – Report on Effects of a Changing Climate to the Department of Defense, January 2019

bragged about receiving a non-existent award?

The award in question was a hand-painted of the Brigade 2506 shield, which Trump received in 2016 during a visit to Miami’s Bay of Pigs museum. Brigade 2506 was the CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles formed to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government.

Image
Trump receiving a plaque of the Brigade 2506 shield in 2016. @TrumpWarRoom

International Business Times – Trump Mocked After Boasting About Fake ‘Bay Of Pigs Award’
The Independent – Trump claims he won non-existent ‘Bay of Pigs’ award – and says Biden won Nobel Peace Prize
The Guardian – Trump boasts about getting ‘Bay of Pigs award’ – which doesn’t exist 
Pop Culture – Donald Trump Blasted After Boasting About Receiving Non-Existent ‘Bay of Pigs’ Award
Wikipedia – Brigade 2506

watched up to 8 hours of TV a day?

The New York Times was the first to report in 2017 that Trump watched between 4 and 8 hours of cable television per day. Trump dismissed the reports as fake news.

During a September 10, 2020 press conference in which Trump responded to claims that he called fallen US soldiers “suckers” and “losers,” he named some 8 hours of television programming he’d watched the day prior.

The New York Times – Inside Trump’s Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation
The Hill – Trump watches up to eight hours of TV per day: report
The Hill – Trump: I don’t watch much television ‘primarily because of documents’
New York Magazine – Trump Binge-Watched Fox News All Night, Woke Up to Watch More Fox

knew about and hid the true threat of COVID-19?

In a taped interview with Bob Woodward for an upcoming book, Trump said he knew that COVID-19 was transmitted through the air and was five times deadlier than the flu. The tapes, released September 9, 2020, were recorded during a February 9 interview. On the day the tape was released, the United States totaled 6,549,475 cases and 195,238 deaths.

It goes through air, Bob. That’s always tougher than the touch. The touch, you don’t have to touch things, right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed. And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus…This is more deadly. This is 5% versus 1%, and less than 1%. So this is deadly stuff.

In a response the same day, Trump said he downplayed concerns to prevent panic and to act as a cheerleader for the nation.

During a press conference the following day, Trump blamed Woodward for not releasing the tapes sooner if he believed that COVID-19 would be dangerous.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, leading epidemiology expert in the United States, also said in February that there was not yet any need to change habits over COVID-19. However, while his option changed as cases spread throughout the nation, Trump continued to dismiss concerns.

On September 14, 2020, another tape was released of an April conversion:

This thing is a killer if it gets you. If you’re the wrong person, you don’t have a chance…so this rips you apart.

The New York Times – Trump Admits Downplaying the Virus Knowing It Was ‘Deadly Stuff’
Real Clear Politics – Dr. Anthony Fauci On February 29: At This Time There Is No Need To Change Your Habits Over Coronavirus
Vanity Fair – Trump: I Was Being a “Cheerleader” for the Country When I Lied About a Virus That Has Now Killed 190,000 Americans
Business Insider – Listen to Trump privately say in February that the coronavirus is ‘more deadly’ than the worst flu as he publicly lied about the threat
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

More assuredly to come soon

Error: Please refresh

Newer Posts
Older Posts