‘I’m On A Stage, And It’s Very Far Away’: Trump Defends Indoor Rally
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, President Donald Trump said that he is not subject to Nevada's rules limiting indoor gatherings to 50 and that he was not concerned about his own safety. He did not address health risks for supporters who attended the rally. Privately, Trump campaign aides voiced concerns that the events could exacerbate the pandemic.
Las Vegas Review-Journal:
In Exclusive Interview, Trump Slams Sisolak, Defends Indoor Rally
President Donald Trump told the Review-Journal in an exclusive interview Sunday that he did not believe he was subject to Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s order limiting gatherings to 50 people when when he addressed a crowd of thousands at an indoor rally in Henderson. (Saunders, 9/14)
The New York Times:
Trump Defends Indoor Rally Amid Covid, But Aides Express Concern
President Trump and his campaign are defending his right to rally indoors, despite the private unease of aides who called it a game of political Russian roulette and growing concern that such gatherings could prolong the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m on a stage, and it’s very far away,” Mr. Trump said in an interview with The Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday, after thousands of his supporters gathered on Sunday night inside a manufacturing plant in a Las Vegas suburb, flouting a state directive limiting indoor gatherings to fewer than 50 people. (9/14)
The Hill:
Indoor Trump Nevada Rally Site Fined $3,000 For Violating State Ban On Large Gatherings
The host of President Trump's indoor campaign rally in Nevada on Sunday has been fined $3,000 for defying state guidelines that prohibit large gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic. CNN reports that Xtreme Manufacturing, which allowed the Trump campaign to use one of its facilities, is accused of six coronavirus violations and has been issued a penalty. (Seipel, 9/14)
Fallout continues from Bob Woodward's new book —
NBC News:
Woodward: 'The President Of The United States Possessed The Specific Knowledge That Could Have Saved Lives'
Journalist Bob Woodward said Monday that he was shocked when he learned that President Donald Trump "possessed the specific knowledge that could have saved lives" in January. In an interview with Savannah Guthrie on NBC's "TODAY" show, Woodward said he found out about a briefing the president had received from his national security advisers on Jan. 28 about the pandemic's coming to the United States and that, only a few days later, on Feb. 4, Trump didn't share the information in his State of the Union address, which 40 million people watched. (Shabad, 9/14)
The Hill:
Woodward: Restricting Travel From China Wasn't Trump's Idea
Journalist Bob Woodward said early Monday that restricting travel from China in response to the coronavirus pandemic was not President Trump’s idea. Host Savannah Guthrie noted on NBC's "Today" that Woodward’s book “Rage” claims that Trump implemented the restrictions on the advice of his administration’s health experts, including Anthony Fauci, after a Jan. 28 meeting. (Budryk, 9/14)
In other news from the Trump administration —
The Hill:
Trump Administration Seeks To Extend Mexico City Policy On Abortion
The Trump administration is looking to expand a ban on global health aid for foreign organizations that provide or promote abortions. The proposed change from the State Department would require that foreign groups receiving global health aid through contracts from the U.S. government agree to not provide or promote abortions — even with funding from other sources. (Hellmann, 9/14)
USA Today:
Trump Administration Has Not Paid USPS For COVID-19 Postcards Featuring Trump's Name
The Trump administration has not yet repaid the United States Postal Service more than six months after the agency sent out COVID-19 guidelines on postcards prominently featuring the president’s name. USA TODAY reported earlier this year the total cost of printing and mailing the postcards was $28 million, with a total printing cost of $4.6 million, and the Trump administration was negotiating the reimbursement with the Postal Service for the cost.But the bill for the postcards sent to 138 million residential addresses has still not been paid. (Wu, 9/14)
