Can we trust what the White House says?

A lot can change in a day. The big news is the nasty guy and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19. He tweeted that in the middle of the night. So the Daily Kos newsfeed has had several stories about it. I’ll mention the major points from them. Laura Clawson reported that White House aides said the nasty guy looked unwell on Wednesday. His rally speech that evening was half its usual length. Even so, he went to a fundraising event yesterday. Mark Sumner reported that though advisor Hope Hicks was the first positive test to be reported it does not mean she was the source of the virus. The nasty guy got the virus from … the nasty guy refusing to wear a mask. Just after noon Clawson reported that the White House said the nasty guy had mild symptoms and was in “good spirits.” He can continue to carry out his duties. But with this virus the outcome is unknown:

COVID-19 isn’t characterized by rapid onset, however, so at this point we don’t know where Trump’s symptoms are headed. He could be one of the people who recovers quickly after relatively mild symptoms. He could have serious but not debilitating symptoms and recover fully. He could become a long hauler, never requiring intensive care but miserably sick for months. He could follow the disease’s most serious path.

Can we trust what the White House says? Sumner wrote no we can’t. Mark Meadows, White House Chief of Staff, laid out a timeline of events. Sumner wrote:

That timeline is shocking all on it’s own, because it says that Trump knew he had been exposed to someone with an active case of COVID-19, but continued to not just go out to large public gatherings, but do so without bothering to wear a mask. That means everyone who travelled with or interacted with Trump in New Jersey was exposed. All of those people should be self-isolating and seeking a test. But what’s more frightening about this timeline is that it’s far from a complete description of what happened. There are also good reasons to think it is simply a lie.

Sumner discussed various things to suggest a different timeline. The infection may have happened last Saturday during the event where Amy Coney Barrett was introduced as the nominee for the Supreme Court. That was a big GOP event (mostly maskless) in the Rose Garden. Everyone there should be considered exposed. On Monday there was a coronavirus event in the Rose Garden and the nasty guy and vice nasty guy spoke from different podiums well spaced apart. The nasty guy was getting daily virus tests. Did he already have a positive test then? Then there was the debate on Tuesday. When madam nasty sat in the crowd with her family she was the only one wearing a mask. After the debate she joined her husband with the mask off. This implies Joe Biden was exposed from 90 minutes of the nasty guy shouting. He’s been tested (and will continue to be) and so far is negative. Then the rally on Wednesday and a fundraiser in Thursday. All those people should consider themselves exposed. Yeah, a lot of people exposed by the guy who refuses to wear a mask and who said the virus would go away. Sumner listed many of the people who may have been exposed by the nasty guy and whether their latest test has been positive or negative. At the end of the post is a tweet from MadKatzMum:

Cleveland officials say they’re aware of 11 positive coronavirus cases related to the setup and planning for Tuesday’s presidential debate.

Jen Hayden reported that late this afternoon the nasty guy walked to the Marine One helicopter and was taken to Walter Reed Hospital “out of an abundance of caution.” He’ll be there “for a few days.” How sick is the nasty guy? The White House says his symptoms are mild. He was well enough he walked to the helicopter. But we know the WH news staff is good at lying. So we have no way of really knowing. Joan McCarter reported Joe Biden, acting like a compassionate adult, has pulled all of his negative ads. He tweeted:

This cannot be a partisan moment. It must be an American moment. We have to come together as a nation.

But Moscow Mitch is determined to run business as usual (there are district court positions to fill) even though at least Sen. Mike Lee has tested positive and likely exposed several more. Leah McElrath tweeted a reminder that this is a national security crisis and the Pentagon is treating it as such. I talked to a family member this evening who thinks all this is an elaborately staged stunt and the nasty guy isn’t really ill. He’s doing this for the sympathy vote. The thought is the nasty guy is the boy who cried wolf and is no longer believed. As for what I believe … McElrath has a couple more tweets. One, she doesn’t share the belief this is a stunt, based on the narcissist belief that illness is a failure. And:

I want Trump to recover because I don’t wish death on anyone. More to the point, however, the last thing we need is for Trump to become a martyr in the minds of his already paranoid, reactive, and heavily-armed supporters.

Two:

Try to get some rest. Tomorrow will be worse. Feel whatever you feel—but do NOT put it all out on Twitter. Think twice before posting musings about “karma” or death or anything in that vein. Those words will just be used against us in the days ahead. Consider deleting if you’ve already posted unconsidered content.