Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dozens Of Secret Service Agents Get COVID During Trump's Travels
The Washington Post: Secret Service Copes With Coronavirus Cases In Aftermath Of Trump Appearances
When President Trump gave a speech to a group of sheriffs in Tampa late last month, his decision to travel forced a large contingent of Secret Service agents to head to a state that was then battling one of the worst coronavirus surges in the nation. Even before Air Force One touched down on July 31, the fallout was apparent: Five Secret Service agents already on the ground had to be replaced after one tested positive for the coronavirus and the others working in proximity were presumed to be infected, according to people familiar with the situation. (Leonning, 8/28)
Rolling Stone: Trump's Golf, Rallies Causing Covid Outbreaks Among Secret Service
Five agents helping plan security for the president’s late July rally in Tampa had to be replaced when one agent tested positive and others who were around the agent were presumed positive as well. Shortly thereafter, two more agents began to show symptoms of COVID-19 after protecting the president as he golfed at his private club in Bedminster, N.J. And in Tulsa in June, six advance staff and two Secret Service agents contracted the virus before the president’s arrival, forcing dozens of agents into quarantine and causing a strain on the agency to find people to protect the president. A vice-presidential trip to Phoenix also left eight agents with symptoms or suspected exposure, forcing them to quarantine in a hotel. (Wade, 8/30)
In other election news —
Politico: Biden Rips Trump As A President Who ‘Sows Chaos’
In remarks in Pittsburgh, the Democratic presidential nominee portrayed Trump as having lost control of a country rocked by a series of converging crises and being guilty “for years” of fomenting racial tensions that have led to clashes and episodes of violence, which he also denounced. “Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really?” Biden said. “I want a safe America, safe from Covid, safe from crime and looting, safe from racially motivated violence, safe from bad cops. And let me be crystal clear: safe from four more years of Donald Trump.” (Oprysko, 8/31)
CNBC: Expect Trump To Talk Less And Less About The Pandemic The Closer He Gets To The Election, Political Strategists Say
At a daily press briefing originally designed to update the public on the coronavirus outbreak ripping through America, President Donald Trump spent about 70 seconds out of 26 minutes discussing the virus. He didn’t take any questions from the media on the topic. ... Political communications experts and strategists say his pivot away from the outbreak is likely intentional. Ahead of the Nov. 3 election, they say, news on the pandemic is a reminder that it has killed more than 183,000 Americans. And that many more could die if the virus isn’t brought under control. (Farr, 8/31)
Politico: Falling Covid-19 Cases Create Opportunity And Peril For Trump
Coronavirus infections are down in nearly every state. That could either give President Donald Trump just what he needs to prime his reelection odds or become another missed opportunity to capitalize on a lull during the pandemic. The positive trends are real. Covid-19 cases have been falling since late July, including in several battleground states. Hospitalizations have dropped 37 percent in the last month and the daily death count is leveling off. (Goldberg, 8/30)
Fox News: Donald Trump Jr. Hits Biden's Health, Mental Acuity: Can He 'Wake Up At 3:00 AM To Take A Phone Call?'
The mainstream media has largely avoided coverage of Joe Biden’s health and fitness for office, but the question remains whether he possesses the physical and mental capacity to hold the most powerful office in the land, Donald Trump Jr. said Sunday. "You see how draining this job is on people. I mean, Joe Biden refuses to campaign. He's not even doing Zoom calls. He's staying in his basement," the oldest Trump child told host told "Life, Liberty & Levin." (Healon, 8/31)
