Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Touts Job Numbers, Looks Ahead To ‘Recovery Summer’ As He Tries To Turn Page On Pandemic
The Washington Post: Talking Past The Pandemic: Trump Attempts To Shift Focus From Deadly Virus To Jobs, Law And Order
Minutes before a news conference Friday in which President Trump declared victory over the coronavirus pandemic by touting historic job growth, White House aides moved chairs that had been six feet apart and placed them right next to one another in the Rose Garden. The move to defy the federal government’s own social distancing rules during the televised event reflected a broader shift within the White House, which is attempting to turn the page from a pandemic that has killed more than 107,000 Americans by focusing on other issues and playing down the continuing danger posed by the virus. (Olorunnipa, Abutaleb and Dawsey, 6/5)
Politico: Trump Plans A ‘Recovery Summer’ Message Against A Bleak Backdrop
President Donald Trump and his team are heralding a summer of economic recovery — a dramatic turnaround that will become the centerpiece of his pitch to voters, casting aside attention on nationwide protests and the coronavirus pandemic. Many fellow Republicans — and Democrats burned by hopeful economic messaging a decade ago — view the coming months with far greater caution, warning about a chest-thumping declaration of victory. (Cook, 6/6)
The Associated Press Fact Check: Trump Exaggerations On Blacks' Economic Gains
President Donald Trump is exaggerating economic gains for African Americans during his administration. He claims full credit for achieving the best economic figures for blacks across the board. That’s not accurate. Black unemployment did reach a low last year, but much of the progress came during the Obama administration. Household median income also was higher for blacks prior to Trump taking office. (Woodward, Yen and Lajka, 6/8)
The Associated Press: Virus, Racial Unrest Force Trump Campaign To Recalibrate
Less than five months before voters will decide his fate, President Donald Trump is confronting a vastly different political reality than he once envisioned. For starters, if the election were held today, he’d likely lose. The president, West Wing advisers and campaign aides have grown increasingly concerned about his reelection chances as they’ve watched Trump’s standing take a pummeling first on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and now during a nationwide wave of protests against racial injustice. (Lemire and Miller, 6/8)
Stat: Scientists Funded By Zuckerberg Criticize Facebook’s Inaction On Trump Posts
Dozens of scientists who have received research funding from Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropic vehicle have signed an open letter sharply criticizing Facebook for its policies on misinformation and inflammatory language, calling the social media giant’s practices “antithetical” to their benefactor’s philanthropic mission. The open letter — which had garnered more than 140 signatures as of midday Saturday — represents a remarkable act of revolt from scientists who are usually reluctant to publicly criticize a generous backer. (Robbins, 6/6)
In other news from the administration —
The Associated Press: White House Forces Reporters To Ditch Social Distancing
The White House abandoned social distancing for reporters attending President Donald Trump’s Rose Garden event Friday because “it looks better,” according to the aide who ordered it. Seats for reporters at recent White House events had been placed 6 feet apart to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. But shortly before Friday’s event, Trump aides moved the seats closer together so reporters were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. (Bauder, 6/5)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Critics Say CDC Leader Undermined Scientists Battling Coronavirus
Frustrated CDC employees and public health experts are sounding alarms about the Atlanta-based agency, worried that its own leadership has irreparably damaged its standing and influence by undermining the scientists battling the pandemic. Too often, some inside and outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say, Director Robert Redfield has been hesitant when decisive action was needed, largely absent from the national stage when the public was looking for leadership, and acquiescent when asked to bend to political considerations. (Edwards, 6/6)
