Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Benggaul]

Thursday's report:

92,485 new cases; about 27.5k more than last week.

Top 5:

Fuck Florida (over 17.5k according to worldometers).
Texas: 11,893 new cases; 39 deaths
California: 9,314 new cases; 43 deaths
Georgia: 4,612 new cases; 11 deaths
Louisiana: 4,414 new cases; 20 deaths

First off, I got the wrong total for deaths for comparison yesterday; the actual total difference was only about 80, not 250. Thanks to @PhaelixWW for the correction.

Second, holy shit DeathSantis is still trying to claim that his state is handling the pandemic wonderfully as cases there continue climbing closer to 20k. Fortunately for some of the residents of Florida a couple mayors are defying his death-dealing dumbfuckery and implementing mask/vaccine mandates. Texas is also up there on the "Fuck you" list. You might have seen my preview yesterday, but if not Abbott is claiming that "Texans have mastered the safe practices that help to prevent and avoid the spread of COVID-19" and threatening to fine businesses that enforce mask/vaccine mandates. Look at their numbers. "Mastered" is not the word I'd use. California's cases are also going up, primarily in LA, but mask mandates are now in place and the rate of increase might be slowing which is incredibly important to keep the healthcare system from being overwhelmed again. Speaking of overwhelmed healthcare systems, there are only 13 ICU beds available in the Austin region. Good thing Texans have "mastered" this whole COVID thing, eh? 25 states reported over 1k new cases. I expect we'll definitely be in the 100k range by Tuesday--if not tomorrow.

398 deaths is (double checks) about the same as last Thursday and brings the total to 628,492. The 7-day average is back above 300, but it has, until now, been a slow creep rather than a steep incline. Nationally, at least. Florida may be painting a different picture. With its own feces. California and Texas rounded out the top 3 as is expected.

Related news:

American workers are facing increasing pressure to get vaccinated against Covid-19--Fucking good. Important to note, however, is that those still refusing to get the vaccine have alternatives such as strict masking and testing. I think those are reasonable compromises.

Florida front-line workers say COVID-19 surge 'feels like it's an impending storm'

The difference in getting vaccinated, or not getting vaccinated is ultimately akin to "the difference between having a cold and dying," said Wein. "If a vaccinated patient gets this, they're most likely going to be just fine, and not going to end up in the hospital. Unfortunately, the unvaccinated person has a really high likelihood that he will end up hospitalized on a ventilator."

Former Trump official says 'just a matter of time' before unvaccinated get delta variant--No comment.

GOP lawmaker challenges McCarthy over 'bulls---' mask mandate enforcement--Cool. Let them protest in a cell then. While votes are going through.

Stay safe, folks.

[Dontrike]

Mike Pillow isn’t happy with Fox. So much so he’s going to stop paying them to run his ads.



https://www.wsj.com/articles/mypillo...rk-11627605182

Not sure why Fox prettied up their statement, they should have been honest and just said "we don't want to get sued, fuck off Pillowmen."

[Shadowferal]

47 percent of Republicans say time will come 'to take the law into their own hands': poll

This message sponsored by the "Law and Order" party. For when their own judges refuse to agree with or even consider hearing them.

[Breccia]

Trump directly acc...just read it.

Under the weak leadership of Mitch McConnell, Senate Republicans continue to lose. He lost Arizona, he lost Georgia, he ignored Election Fraud and he doesn’t fight.

Trump, apparently still angry that Biden's going to pass an infrastructure bill in six months without even a single Nazi or Klansman involved, continues to
1) use "RINO" incorrectly, since what he means is "Party of Trump member"
2) is continuing to push election fraud baseless conspiracy theories, and
3) yep, claims McConnell and not himself was the one who lost Georgia. This is, of course, common with narcissists. When someone wins, it's because they helped. If someone loses, it wasn't their fault.

As a reminder, Trump spent the time between fairly losing the federal election, and the Georgia election, spamming conspiracy theories that amounted to "Your vote doesn't count". His base listened and took his word as fat orange gospel, and didn't vote. This article, highly ironically dated Jan 6th, goes into detail about how Trump cost the GOP Georgia. And even today, he refuses any responsibility. (EDIT: I swear, there was a poster who quoted this...)

In order to be a god, you have to be perfect. In business, you need to turn every weakness into a strength. Trump has proven he's neither, but needs his rabid fanbase to believe he's both or he loses them. So he will continue to scream into the wind about winning and winning bigly and winning yuge while, hopefully, the GOP backs away from a clearly insane person.

Perhaps they could find a small hill to climb -- that should do it.

[PhaelixWW]

I suppose the snake swallowing its own tail could also refer to Jormungandr, the world serpent, but perhaps apocalyptic analogies are also something we'd want to avoid where Republicans are concerned.

I mean, Jörmungandr is an ouroboros. And Ragnarok is supposed to begin when it releases its tail from its mouth, not the other way around.

Wasn't talking about the mythical Ouroboros. Snakes when overheated and disoriented will mistakenly begin to eat their own tails mistaking them for food literally killing themselves by trying to eat itself.

https://www.wideopenpets.com/why-do-...at-themselves/

This, however, is news to me. Weird.

[Edge-]

https://apnews.com/article/trump-urg...2d4c739bd18a5d

“Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen,” Trump said at one point to then-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, according to notes taken by Richard Donoghue, a senior Justice Department official who was on the call.

Not surprising, but at least we've got pretty explicit notes confirming that yes, Trump did try to pressure the DoJ into overturning the election/declaring it fraudulent, and that he was all to happy to volunteer the Republican party and his administration to sell the lie.

[Breccia]

I'm seeing whispers of something come across media. Namely, this.

The KKK Act of 1871.

"Yeah yeah, all Republicans are racists, bla bla bla."

No, that's not it. Detailed here, 42 USC 1983-1986 was, yes, created to enforce the whole "yes, African Americans are actually people" Constitutional Amendments and baaaaaaaaasically said
1) You're not allowed to interfere with the federal government doing their duty, and
2) If you're in charge and supposed to act, and don't, you're liable

But. It doesn't spell out "with regard to black people". It just says "do your fucking job". It was intended to keep the South from looking at the new American rules that prevent slavery and saying "Nah". In 1871 Grant basically used it to say "Don't make me come down there a second timel, fuckwits".

*ahem*

But.
@Endus has been saying things about aid and comfort recently, this is right up his alley. We've know people told Trump "stop the riot" and he didn't. The Jan 6th committee could call, oh I don't know, some Rep or Senator who called Trump and order them to disclose under oath what they said. Or some Trump family member.

Maybe Trump is a KKK member, maybe he just wishes he was. But the KKK Act taking a swing at him would be hilariously on point.

[Edge-]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/30/trum...-doj-says.html

And DoJ has greenlit Congress reviewing Trump's taxes, agreeing that they have made a legitimate request.

[Breccia]

And DoJ has greenlit Congress reviewing Trump's taxes, agreeing that they have made a legitimate request.

Only five years too late on that one.

[beanman12345]

Just saw a clip of Lara Trump on Fox claiming she is thrilled whenever her kids get sick. This family is so fucked up.

[Paranoid Android]

.NEW: DOJ officials told Trump that the department had no power to change the outcome of the election. He replied that he did not expect that:
“Just say that the election was corrupt + leave the rest to me."
https://t.co/bpl2o2W7bq

https://twitter.com/ktbenner/status/...121981953?s=19

More damning evidence of Trump’s attempt insurrection.

This was prior January 6th, with 'leave the rest to me', no doubt him wanting his followers to lead an attempt on the Capitol.

[Breccia]

New cases in @Benggaul 's post aren't going to be pretty. At the end of June, the seven-day USA rolling average was 12,500. Florida now has that alone -- having over 14,200 cases/day by themselves, roughly nine times what they had at the end of June. The country is about five times as bad, overall, so states that are six times as bad like New York and Illinois aren't doing great, but still are doing much better when compared to Florida.

Well back to the news...

Florida reports one hundred ten thousand cases in a week, +50% from what they got last week, which was +60% more than the week before, which was +210% more than the week before. Positivity rate increases from 15 to 18 percent. (There's a county-by-county in the link if you want to read)

Patients are surging Florida ICUs. More than one thousand hospitalizations per day, 1450 on Tuesday alone.

Front-line workers in Florida say current COVID-19 surge 'feels like it's an impending storm'.

More fact checking sites are going overtime, smashing down the claims that Florida is doing okay. Even within the context of the United States' increase, no they're not.

And my favorite:

DeSantis to order EO saying parents don't have to send their kids to school with masks if they don't feel like it.

In Florida, there will be no lockdowns, there will be no school closures, there will be no restrictions and no mandates in the state of Florida

Remember how Trump tried to withhold federal aid to cities or states he didn't like? I'm starting to understand why. But the people of Florida are going to need a lot of help, soon. Due to their even-in-context skyrocketing rates and their size, they're safely one of the worst, if not the worst, states in the country in COVID terms.

The only "good" news about Florida is they're not in the top ten ranked by "most percentage increase in the last 14 days". But
1) They are still #1 in number of cases. Like, by a lot. Their rolling average is 14,200 and that's almost as much as #2 California and #3 Texas combined.
2) They are still a piece of #2 in cases per capita
3) They are #1 in hospitalizations
4) They have pulled ahead of Nevada and are #1 in hospitalizations per capita
5) They are #4 in increase in percent in hospitalizations, so they're not just bad, they're getting worse
6) They are #1 in COVID deaths.
7) They are #7 in COVID deaths per capita.

I'm mostly interested in the per capita results. California will always have more deaths than, say, South Dakota. Florida being high on all three of those per-capita lists is particularly damning if, say, someone were trying to defend Florida.

Not in the top ten in any of those lists: Illinois. Anyone trying to deflect with "But Illinois" is being disingenuous.

[Templar 331]

Georgia: 4,612 new cases; 11 deaths

I started a new job in Valdosta this month and last week half the shop was sent home because one of the workers tested positive. Him and several others attended a pool party where I'm guessing other goers also tested positive. Today four more in another department were sent to be tested because one of them also tested positive.

I think me and a hand full others there have been vaccinated. :/

[Breccia]

I think me and a hand full others there have been vaccinated. :/

Stay safe, man.

Georgia might not be Florida, but they're not doing great even in USA context. They're in the top 10 per capita cases and hospitalizations, but not deaths. Yet.

- - - Updated - - -

Just saw a clip of Lara Trump on Fox claiming she is thrilled whenever her kids get sick. This family is so fucked up.

I imagine Lara Trump was talking about nonlethal diseases like chicken pox, which is still fucked up but not sociopathic. Hoping it happens with COVID is, because that shit kills people. Also, while most adults have caught chicken pox, most adults haven't caught COVID. Your kid comes home with chicken pox and you're fine. Your kid comes home with COVID and you're not fine.

EDIT: I should be clear, I'm not defending Lara Trump. She was likely using chicken pox as a parallel to COVID in that clip I didn't see. If so, then she's a sociopath. If not, well, I owe her an apology.

[DarkTZeratul]

I imagine Lara Trump was talking about nonlethal diseases like chicken pox, which is still fucked up but not sociopathic. Hoping it happens with COVID is, because that shit kills people. Also, while most adults have caught chicken pox, most adults haven't caught COVID. Your kid comes home with chicken pox and you're fine. Your kid comes home with COVID and you're not fine.

And even THEN, you shouldn't be hoping your kid gets chicken pox anymore because there's a vaccine for it now AND it causes shingles later in life.

[beanman12345]

Stay safe, man.

Georgia might not be Florida, but they're not doing great even in USA context. They're in the top 10 per capita cases and hospitalizations, but not deaths. Yet.

- - - Updated - - -



I imagine Lara Trump was talking about nonlethal diseases like chicken pox, which is still fucked up but not sociopathic. Hoping it happens with COVID is, because that shit kills people. Also, while most adults have caught chicken pox, most adults haven't caught COVID. Your kid comes home with chicken pox and you're fine. Your kid comes home with COVID and you're not fine.

EDIT: I should be clear, I'm not defending Lara Trump. She was likely using chicken pox as a parallel to COVID in that clip I didn't see. If so, then she's a sociopath. If not, well, I owe her an apology.

It was over a cold in fact, but in context about covid letting the immune system naturally do it's thing, instead of letting kids wear masks in order to, prevent trying to get it in the first place, so yeah, complete sociopathic in this case, which always is the case when it's someone with that last name.

[Breccia]

there's a vaccine for it now

I love living in the future.

[D Luniz]

Stay safe, man.

Georgia might not be Florida, but they're not doing great even in USA context. They're in the top 10 per capita cases and hospitalizations, but not deaths. Yet.

- - - Updated - - -



I imagine Lara Trump was talking about nonlethal diseases like chicken pox, which is still fucked up but not sociopathic. Hoping it happens with COVID is, because that shit kills people. Also, while most adults have caught chicken pox, most adults haven't caught COVID. Your kid comes home with chicken pox and you're fine. Your kid comes home with COVID and you're not fine.

EDIT: I should be clear, I'm not defending Lara Trump. She was likely using chicken pox as a parallel to COVID in that clip I didn't see. If so, then she's a sociopath. If not, well, I owe her an apology.

fun fact: the CDC have been saying today that Delta is as contagious as the chicken pox

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/h...lta-masks.html

C.D.C. Internal Report Calls Delta Variant as Contagious as Chickenpox
The Delta variant is much more contagious, more likely to break through protections afforded by the vaccines and may cause more severe disease than all other known versions of the virus, according to an internal presentation circulated within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ok, not really fun, but going "GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY!!" seemed worse.

[beanman12345]

fun fact: the CDC have been saying today that Delta is as contagious as the chicken pox

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/h...lta-masks.html


Ok, not really fun, but going "GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY!!" seemed worse.

So basically everyone who isn't immune is gonna get this thing, and just like chickenpox can fuck you up later in life too!

[Benggaul]

From Nevada:

Father of 5 Dies After Texting Fiancée, 'I Should Have Gotten the Damn Vaccine'

You can click to read the article if you like but the headline pretty much says it all.

Now, before anyone says something they might regret, their reason for not getting the vaccine was out of concern for the side effects and they had planned on getting it "within a year". They weren't an outright "anti-vaxxer"; I can understand people being abundantly cautious about that--however, he works in a casino and just went to San Diego for a two-week vacation during an ongoing pandemic, so...yeah.

I've said it before--and linked experts saying it--and I'll say it again: the side effects from the vaccine are far, far milder than the side effects of COVID. Don't let the fear-mongering assholes from the GQP talk you out of it. Get your jabs.