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The @washingtonpost reports that Trump, in continuing to tell Americans that the virus is receding, is in fact contradicting an internal White House projection — which, according to aides, alarmed him — that infections will rise from August to October. /1 https://wapo.st/2XJloOO
The Post report also indicates that Trump has refused to force companies to produce equipment for virus tests, on the grounds that doing so would expose him to responsibility for the testing shortage, which he prefers to dump on governors. /2
The article says Trump's chief of staff, @MarkMeadows, "personally monitors" Fauci’s media appearances and "admonishes" him when he sees Fauci "sounding out of sync with Trump." Meadows has instructed Fauci, Birx, and other health officials not to "opine on restrictions." /3
One measure of the chief of staff's irrationality: "During coronavirus meetings, Meadows has repeatedly questioned the scientific consensus that wearing masks helps contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials said." /4 https://wapo.st/2XJloOO
The Post reports that in June, despite the resurgence of the virus, the White House had "a stand-down order on engaging publicly" about it, as "part of a deliberate strategy to spotlight other issues," particularly the economy, "to improve the president’s reelection chances." /5
There's a lot more here, e.g., 1) Trump fuming at Birx, 2) Trump's anti-mask whisperer (his former body man), and 3) Meadows and other aides sidelining the doctors. Solid work by @PhilipRucker @yabutaleb7 @jdawsey1 @costareports. Read the whole thing. /END https://wapo.st/2XJloOO
