Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[swiftowner]

Just as a sort of "hold onto your butts" sign, last Saturday the total of new COVID-19 cases in the US was 58.3k. Right now it's already at 67.7k and there's still several hours--and several states/counties--left to report in the day. This might be the first time since the last huge surge that cases on Saturday number higher than those on Friday.

So I know you are probably working on your write up about this right now, and I’m looking forward to your insight. But holy shit almost 80k today with several states not reporting... Idk if the 80k is from more states completing more testing due to the spike, rather than leaving it for Monday? I’m still concerned that we might hit 100k next Friday at this rate. Did India even get to 100k in a day, I know they were up there? Need to check...

Edit: Nope, India’s highest reported day was just shy of 98k on worldometers

[Breccia]

Simply put, Trump's rallies are super spreader events.

WaPo reports that Trump's Sept 30th rally in Minn. ignored the required and recommended safety guidelines.

Paywall, but I've already explained the good stuff.

[Benggaul]

79,449 new cases, about 21k more than last Saturday. JEEEEZUS.

Illinois: 6,161 new cases (new record); 63 deaths
Texas: 6,133 new cases; 72 deaths
Fuck Florida.
Wisconsin: 4,062 new cases; 25 deaths
Michigan: 3,490 new cases (new record); 38 deaths
California: 3,072 new cases; 28 deaths
Ohio: 2,861 new cases (new record); 30 deaths
Indiana: 2,741 new cases; 26 deaths
North Carolina: 2,584 new cases; 30 deaths
Tennessee: 2,574 new cases; 24 deaths
Missouri: 2,496 new cases; 25 deaths
Alabama: 2,360 new cases; 7 deaths
Minnesota: 2,259 new cases; 14 deaths
New York: 1,994 new cases; 7 deaths
Georgia: 1,846 new cases; 42 deaths
Oklahoma: 1,829 new cases (new record); 11 deaths
Colorado: 1,828 new cases (new record); 7 deaths
Kentucky: 1,732 new cases (new record); 8 deaths
Pennsylvania: 1,711 new cases; 26 deaths
Iowa: 1,701 new cases; 10 deaths
Kansas: 1,636 new cases; no deaths reported
New Jersey: 1,629 new cases; 12 deaths
Utah: 1,608 new cases; 1 death
Mississippi: 1,212 new cases; 17 deaths
Massachusetts: 1,203 new cases; 9 deaths
Arkansas: 1,183 new cases; 15 deaths
Nevada: 1,146 new cases; 5 deaths
Virginia: 1,088 new cases; 39 deaths
Idaho: 1,021 new cases; 10 deaths

So...this isn't good. We came within a couple thousand of matching yesterday's total despite the fact that Saturdays usually come in much lower as a begin to the underreported weekend. I still expect Sunday and Monday to be lower (unless this has rung enough alarm bells to keep the labs/sites open), but chances are next week is going to be brutal. Once again several records were broken and totals for the rest came awfully close to the top. Several states barely missed making it onto my list and will no doubt find their way there in short order unless measures are taken to quell the rise in cases. Normally I would list several hotspots here but, well, look at the list. Look at the map at https://www.covidexitstrategy.org/ where red denotes "uncontrolled spread". I mean....fuck. The only region doing half-decent is the northeast--and that's because they had to learn a hard lesson in March/April. And even then several are showing signs of upward trends.

784 deaths is over a hundred more than last Saturday. The total is now 230,068. These are trending up as well...I expect we'll be above 1k a couple times the upcoming week. Half the states had double digit totals.

Related news:

Winter will bring new COVID-19 challenges, but it does not have to bring an overwhelming surge--In other words, as long as people (and leadership) set rules and follow them, we'll make it through okay....*sighs; rubs temples*
Fauci says it might be time to mandate masks as Covid-19 surges across US--States with smart leadership have already been heading this way. Think Trump country will follow?
Researchers pin hopes on Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR-technology tests to detect coronavirus--Faster, cheaper testing may be on the way, so MAYBE the US will be able to meet the 200 million test per month marker it should in order to ensure better safety. We're nowhere near that now.

Stay safe, folks.

[Breccia]

784 deaths is over a hundred more than last Saturday.

Isn't that high for a weekend day result?

[Benggaul]

Isn't that high for a weekend day result?

For Saturday not so much, given that Saturday's reports are actually Friday's numbers. Sunday and Monday are typically very low. Saturday's has been around 700ish for many weeks now, though last week it was in the low 600's.

[Breccia]

Pence's closest advisor tests positive.

"Okay, but if--"

Pence's chief of staff tests postivie.

Well, let's add another hypothetical to the pile, I guess.

1) Trump loses.
2) But Pence dies.

Does...does Trump leave the WH without a pardon?

[gondrin]

Somewhat relative to the discussion. Somewhat.

[Thepersona]

The MAGA cult is apparently so incensed by the fact that AOC and Omar streamed Among Us to encourage people to vote that they're now hacking the game and flooding chat with "Vote Trump 2020" messages. Because the surest way to win people over to your side is to ruin one of their forms of entertainment.

Among Us developers scramble to block massive ‘Eris Loris’ spam attack

Do they hate women that much because of the lack of pussy they give it to them?

[PhaelixWW]

Pence's closest advisor tests positive.

"Okay, but if--"

Pence's chief of staff tests postivie.

Well, let's add another hypothetical to the pile, I guess.

1) Trump loses.
2) But Pence dies.

Does...does Trump leave the WH without a pardon?

Well, I mean, in that situation, I guess Pelosi would become the VP, and maybe she would... BWAAHAHAHAHHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHA!

Pelosi would straight up write up a pardon form, then rip it in front of Trump, I have no doubt.

[Zaydin]

Pence's closest advisor tests positive.

"Okay, but if--"

Pence's chief of staff tests postivie.

Well, let's add another hypothetical to the pile, I guess.

1) Trump loses.
2) But Pence dies.

Does...does Trump leave the WH without a pardon?

Mark Meadows apparently tried to cover these new cases up.

Apparently the first aide to test positive was several days ago. Pence's Chief of Staff tested positive today. There is a third not-yet-identified Pence aide who has tested positive, too. Looks like we are looking at a new outbreak starting in the White House.

If a new outbreak does start in the White House, I wonder if it will be the final nail in Trumps coffin. After all, after the massive outbreak in the White House at the start of the month, a new outbreak now would be horrible for Trump because it would prove to/remind the American people that he learned fuck all from the first outbreak and didn't change how his White House operated.

[akris15]

Mark Meadows apparently tried to cover these new cases up.

Apparently the first aide to test positive was several days ago. Pence's Chief of Staff tested positive today. There is a third not-yet-identified Pence aide who has tested positive, too. Looks like we are looking at a new outbreak starting in the White House.

If a new outbreak does start in the White House, I wonder if it will be the final nail in Trumps coffin. After all, after the massive outbreak in the White House at the start of the month, a new outbreak now would be horrible for Trump because it would prove to/remind the American people that he learned fuck all from the first outbreak and didn't change how his White House operated.

Honestly Trump getting the virus and this late surge is the October surprise. It's only going to get worse until Nov 3rd at this rate.

[Adam Jensen]

The MAGA cult is apparently so incensed by the fact that AOC and Omar streamed Among Us to encourage people to vote that they're now hacking the game and flooding chat with "Vote Trump 2020" messages. Because the surest way to win people over to your side is to ruin one of their forms of entertainment.

Among Us developers scramble to block massive ‘Eris Loris’ spam attack

WTF do these spammers think they're achieving? That the liberals will go "oh gee, well you made a reasoned argument with this spam attack, I shall indeed go vote for Donald Trump?"

It's nothing more than a troll that stirs more division.

There is just so much now from American "conservatism" that has become bullying, hatred and trolling.

[Waniou]

Well, I mean, in that situation, I guess Pelosi would become the VP, and maybe she would... BWAAHAHAHAHHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHA!

Pelosi would straight up write up a pardon form, then rip it in front of Trump, I have no doubt.

Okay not a constitutional expert and also not even an American but I believe if the office of VP is vacated, Trump can just nominate a new one. I think since he's still officially President until his term ends in January, he'd still be able to nominate someone. In either case, Pelosi only becomes President if Trump and Pence both become incapacitated but IIRC there's no situation where she becomes VP unless something really bizarre happens.

[Adam Jensen]

Okay not a constitutional expert and also not even an American but I believe if the office of VP is vacated, Trump can just nominate a new one. I think since he's still officially President until his term ends in January, he'd still be able to nominate someone. In either case, Pelosi only becomes President if Trump and Pence both become incapacitated but IIRC there's no situation where she becomes VP unless something really bizarre happens.

Right. If Pence dies, Pelosi doesn't become the VP. However, she would be next in the line of succession until Trump picked a replacement. So if Pence dies, then Trump strokes out, then Pelosi becomes President. But at no point does she become VP.

[DarkTZeratul]

Well, I mean, in that situation, I guess Pelosi would become the VP, and maybe she would... BWAAHAHAHAHHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHA!

Pelosi would straight up write up a pardon form, then rip it in front of Trump, I have no doubt.

As amusing as that idea is, that's not how it works. If Pence dies, Trump simply nominates a new VP (subject to Senate confirmation). Pelosi only becomes Acting President if both the President and Vice President offices are vacated.

[PhaelixWW]

As amusing as that idea is, that's not how it works. If Pence dies, Trump simply nominates a new VP (subject to Senate confirmation). Pelosi only becomes Acting President if both the President and Vice President offices are vacated.

So I looked it up, and actually, it's not just Senate confirmation, the VP nomination would have to be confirmed by both Senate and House, so... Pelosi could stonewall a confirmation as well as still being the next person in the line of succession.

She'd get a double laugh at that point.

[Breccia]

So I looked it up, and actually, it's not just Senate confirmation, the VP nomination would have to be confirmed by both Senate and House, so... Pelosi could stonewall a confirmation as well as still being the next person in the line of succession.

Interesting.

So, in the unlikely case that Pence dies, Pelosi doesn't need to be next in line. There just needs to be nobody next in line to replace Trump (until Biden does in this case) if Trump resigns early, nobody to pardon Trump, and therefore, Trump will

1) face the consequences for his words and actions, or
2) be pardoned by Biden, or
3) die of stress waiting for 1 vs 2 to show up.

[Antiganon]

What do we do in times of COVID-19 when we can't facepalm anymore?

Headdesk has been my go-to for a while now.

[Breccia]

I posted earlier that two of Pence's staff have tested positive.

This is, apparently, incorrect.

It's already up to five.

From the sounds of things, Pence wasn't really around these people all that much recently. He's probably fine, but, he's going to lose access to his best help at a time he can't afford that.

[Zaydin]

I posted earlier that two of Pence's staff have tested positive.

This is, apparently, incorrect.

It's already up to five.

From the sounds of things, Pence wasn't really around these people all that much recently. He's probably fine, but, he's going to lose access to his best help at a time he can't afford that.

Seems like the Super Spreader in Chief has struck again, creating a new outbreak in the White House. It's like he wants to lose at this point considering polling has been making it clear for months that his refusal to handle the pandemic is what is strangling his campaign. That there is a new outbreak starting in the White House three weeks after the first one did, less than two weeks before the election, is pretty much a massive gift to Democrats. "Trump caught COVID during an outbreak in the White House and refused to change his behavior, leading to another outbreak. What makes you think he will change in a second term?"