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| Donald Trump marks Independence Day with incendiary Mount Rushmore speech – live | Donald Trump marks Independence Day with incendiary Mount Rushmore speech – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| President says US under assault from ‘far-left fascism’ while coronavirus deaths near 130,000 | |
| While the number of Covid-19 cases surge across the United States, CNN reports that key public health figures such as Dr Anthony Fauci have not been given permission by the White House administration to appear on American television. | |
| Members of the White House’s task force on Covid-19 were familiar figures on US television in the early days of the pandemic. Fauci in particular won praise for his calm, no-nonsense advice, which was often in contrast to the more speculative and confused messaging from Donald Trump. | |
| Fauci last appeared on US television on 12 June, and CNN says other members of the Covid-19 taskforce, such as Dr Deborah Birx and Dr Robert Redfield, now rarely grant interviews. One source told CNN that high-profile officials, including Fauci, have been unable to gain permission to appear on television. “Now is the time to be sending a strong public health message,” the official told CNN, noting that the cases of the virus are rising across large part of the country. The source added that Fauci is though to be too blunt about the dangers of Covid-19 during his appearances, or too “doom and gloom.” | |
| Even figures who are seen as more amenable to the administration have struggled for airtime. The surgeon general, Dr Jerome Adams, has made just two broadcast appearances in the last few weeks, one was a local radio interview and the other was on NBC on Friday where he avoided answering questions about Trump’s decision not to wear a facemask at public gatherings. “Every single person has to make up their own mind,” Adams said on the subject. | |
| CNN added that Dr Robert Redfield, the director of the Center for Disease Control, gave a briefing to reports on 25 June, but has otherwise been off air. Alex Azar, the secretary of health and human services, has been more active and has appeared on most major networks in the last few weeks. | |
| Fauci, meanwhile, has been getting his message across on other platforms. He has appeared on media that may not be used by the White House administration, such as podcasts and foreign broadcasts. | |
| News from St Louis, where the Associated Press reports that on Friday night, peaceful protesters returned to a house where a white couple famously appeared with guns last Sunday, during a march demanding the resignation of the mayor: | News from St Louis, where the Associated Press reports that on Friday night, peaceful protesters returned to a house where a white couple famously appeared with guns last Sunday, during a march demanding the resignation of the mayor: |
| The president is most likely asleep at the moment, given that he arrived back at the White House from South Dakota at 4.11am ET. His Twitter account, therefore, lies momentarily dormant. | The president is most likely asleep at the moment, given that he arrived back at the White House from South Dakota at 4.11am ET. His Twitter account, therefore, lies momentarily dormant. |
| Here’s a taste of what White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had to say to reporters on the flight back from Mount Rushmore: | Here’s a taste of what White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had to say to reporters on the flight back from Mount Rushmore: |
| In the words of the pool report, “Meadows was asked by a reporter why Trump did not mention the coronavirus pandemic ‘much’ during his remarks. | In the words of the pool report, “Meadows was asked by a reporter why Trump did not mention the coronavirus pandemic ‘much’ during his remarks. |
| Here’s David Smith again, on how Trump has fueled a growing (and increasingly absurd) culture war over face masks and their role in preventing American deaths: | Here’s David Smith again, on how Trump has fueled a growing (and increasingly absurd) culture war over face masks and their role in preventing American deaths: |
| Disturbing news from Seattle, where last night a car drove into a crowd of protesters on a closed portion of Interstate 5. | Disturbing news from Seattle, where last night a car drove into a crowd of protesters on a closed portion of Interstate 5. |
| Two women were injured, authorities said. One suffered life-threatening injuries and the other had serious injuries. The Seattle fire department said the injured women appeared to be in their 20s. | Two women were injured, authorities said. One suffered life-threatening injuries and the other had serious injuries. The Seattle fire department said the injured women appeared to be in their 20s. |
| Shortly after 2am on Saturday, video on social media showed a white car traveling at a high speed navigate around two vehicles which were positioned across the lanes as a barrier. | Shortly after 2am on Saturday, video on social media showed a white car traveling at a high speed navigate around two vehicles which were positioned across the lanes as a barrier. |
| The car careened toward a handful of protesters on the freeway, striking two who flew into the air before landing on the ground. | The car careened toward a handful of protesters on the freeway, striking two who flew into the air before landing on the ground. |
| “A vehicle drove through the closure and struck multiple pedestrians on the freeway,” a state patrol spokesman tweeted, shortly after 2am. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was in custody. | “A vehicle drove through the closure and struck multiple pedestrians on the freeway,” a state patrol spokesman tweeted, shortly after 2am. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was in custody. |
| Later on Saturday, police said the driver and a passenger were uninjured, having fled the police earlier in the city of Ferndale. The driver had not been impaired, police said. | Later on Saturday, police said the driver and a passenger were uninjured, having fled the police earlier in the city of Ferndale. The driver had not been impaired, police said. |
| Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the 25 May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests over police brutality and systemic racism. | Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the 25 May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests over police brutality and systemic racism. |
| … and welcome to another day’s coverage of US politics, protest and public health crisis. | … and welcome to another day’s coverage of US politics, protest and public health crisis. |
| In the shadow of Mount Rushmore last night, Donald Trump marked Independence Day with an appeal for unity, calm and a common goal. Not really – he marked the national holiday by claiming the US was under assault from “far-left fascism”: | In the shadow of Mount Rushmore last night, Donald Trump marked Independence Day with an appeal for unity, calm and a common goal. Not really – he marked the national holiday by claiming the US was under assault from “far-left fascism”: |
| Trump likes Confederate flags and statues, remember. Perhaps Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis, men who rebelled against America in the name of slavery – and were beaten trying – will be included in Trump’s “National Garden of American Heroes”, a vast outdoor park featuring statues of “the greatest Americans to ever live” which he announced by executive order. | Trump likes Confederate flags and statues, remember. Perhaps Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis, men who rebelled against America in the name of slavery – and were beaten trying – will be included in Trump’s “National Garden of American Heroes”, a vast outdoor park featuring statues of “the greatest Americans to ever live” which he announced by executive order. |
| Of course, there’s an election four months away and Joe Biden leads in most polls, national and battleground state, so think more of the president’s speech last night as an aperitif for that five-course contest than a sure sign of squabbles over building permits and bad statues of Senator Joe McCarthy to come. Pretty, it won’t be. | Of course, there’s an election four months away and Joe Biden leads in most polls, national and battleground state, so think more of the president’s speech last night as an aperitif for that five-course contest than a sure sign of squabbles over building permits and bad statues of Senator Joe McCarthy to come. Pretty, it won’t be. |
| In other news, Donald Trump Jr’s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a senior Trump campaign official, has the coronavirus. She joins a growing club: nearly 2.8 million Americans have been confirmed to have been infected and nearly 130,000 have died. The Trump White House’s reported new slogan for a country mired in a growing public health crisis? “We need to live with it.” | In other news, Donald Trump Jr’s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, a senior Trump campaign official, has the coronavirus. She joins a growing club: nearly 2.8 million Americans have been confirmed to have been infected and nearly 130,000 have died. The Trump White House’s reported new slogan for a country mired in a growing public health crisis? “We need to live with it.” |
| In South Dakota on Friday night, masks were voluntary, social distancing scarce. | In South Dakota on Friday night, masks were voluntary, social distancing scarce. |
| Here’s Ed Pilkington on how New York is attempting to reopen. And here’s David Smith, from Washington, on how Trump is fuelling a culture war over the need to wear a mask: | Here’s Ed Pilkington on how New York is attempting to reopen. And here’s David Smith, from Washington, on how Trump is fuelling a culture war over the need to wear a mask: |
| More follows. | More follows. |