A briefing on the President’s treatment is expected shortly
A medical briefing on President Trump’s treatment at Walter Reed medical center is expected shortly.
Trump has been at the medical center since Friday to be treated for Covid-19.
White House reporters have been told to expect the medical briefing around 11:30 a.m. ET.
Biden campaign sends well wishes to President
From CNN’s Sarah Mucha
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign underscored their well wishes to the President and first lady this morning.
Symone Sanders told CNN that the Biden campaign has not heard from the Trump campaign or the White House since the President’s diagnosis but added that they do not believe Biden was exposed.
“We extend our thoughts and prayers to President Trump and the first lady. We are sincerely hoping that the President makes a very quick recovery and we can see him on the campaign trial soon,” she said. “No, we haven’t heard to my knowledge from the Trump campaign or the White House, but the reality is that Vice President Biden was not exposed.”
Sanders reiterated that the campaign has followed protocol throughout the pandemic, including wearing masks.
“We are adhering to CDC guidance, we are listening to the public health experts and we are taking every single precaution. Our staff are wearing masks and are social distancing everywhere — on planes, in cars, inside events, outside events,” Sanders said. “We’re wearing the masks that are keeping us safe.”
Responding to the Trump campaign accusing Biden of using masks as a “prop,” deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield told ABC, “I think that tells you a lot of what you need to know about how the Trump campaign has treated this from the outset. Joe Biden believes that the words of a president matter, that the actions of a president matter. From the outset, he has taken this seriously.”
GOP leader says he could tell the President “wasn’t feeling well” when he spoke to him Friday
From CNN’s Nicky Robertson
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy spoke to President Trump Friday night while the President was at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
“He called me Friday night after he got into the hospital, it was late around 10:30 or so, you could tell he wasn’t feeling well,” McCarthy said in an interview on Fox.
McCarthy said the President was working, and they discussed the coronavirus stimulus relief bill, which remains at an impasse on Capitol Hill
“He was still doing work, we were talking about how we could get the speaker Nancy Pelosi to stop playing politics and actually get a COVID relief bill,” the Minority Leader noted.
McCarthy added that Trump was “worried about others who had COVID.”
Trump campaign adviser couldn’t explain why Trump went to fundraiser after Hicks tested positive
From CNN’s Daniella Diaz
Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller couldn’t explain why President Trump went to Bedminster for a fundraiser Thursday after learning Hope Hicks, one of the President’s aides, had tested positive for coronavirus.
After being asked for an explanation, Miller said on ABC, “I can’t speak to — since I’m not part of White House operations, I’m not part of the White House medical unit — is the exact, how much time he was spending with Hope and the proximity for these things. I can’t speak to that. I’m going to let the White House do that.”
Miller also claimed that Trump’s campaign rallies took precautions for coronavirus, adding he believed former Vice President Joe Biden used face masks as a “prop.”
“We take it seriously. It’s why we give everyone coming to rallies or events, we give them a mask. We check their temperature. You know, I would say that with regard to Joe Biden, I think too often he’s used the mask as a prop. Mask is very important, but even if he’s — he could be 20, 30 feet away from the nearest person and still have the mask on. That’s not going to change anything that’s out there. Also we’ve seen with — with Joe Biden, I mean, we can’t all just stay in our basement for the rest of our lives,” Miller said.
Ohio governor says the White House did not contact him about possible Covid-19 exposure
From CNN’s Chandelis Duster
Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine said Sunday that he has not been contacted by the White House about potential Covid-19 exposure in his state after President Trump tested positive for the virus days after his Cleveland debate.
“Well, they have not reached out to me. I know that I talked to the CEO of the Cleveland Clinic the other day who gave me an update, who gave me a report so I don’t know whether they have reached out to Cleveland Clinic or not. They have not talked to me about it, no,” the Republican governor told CNN.
The President participated in the first presidential debate against Democrat Joe Biden in Cleveland last week. DeWine said that he didn’t attend the debate, but conceded that he wished the President wore a mask more often.
“Do I wish — look do I wish the President had worn a mask all the time? Of course. You know, of course,” he said.
WATCH:
Senate GOP’s third positive Covid-19 case threatens quick Supreme Court confirmation
From CNN’s Manu Raju
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has tested positive for coronavirus after being exposed to someone with the virus earlier this week, according to his spokesman, making him the third GOP senator to test positive in 24 hours and threatening the quick confirmation prospects of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
In a sign of just how little margin for error there is to get Barrett confirmed by election day, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote in an email to GOP senators obtained by CNN that he needs all Republican senators back in Washington by Oct. 19.
Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who sit on the Judiciary Committee, tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday — just days after attending a White House event where President Trump nominated Barrett.
Multiple attendees of that event, including Trump, have tested positive in the week since the ceremony, which featured many people not wearing masks and not observing social distancing protocols.
Johnson did not attend the Barrett nomination ceremony, where several people appeared to have been exposed to the virus, because he was quarantining from a prior exposure, during which he twice tested negative for the virus, according to the spokesman.
Johnson was able to get tested before speaking to the Ozaukee County Republican Party Oktoberfest Dinner on Friday night in Wisconsin, he said on a call with reporters Saturday. The senator, who said he had decided to get tested as a precaution after hearing that Lee had tested positive earlier on Friday, learned he had tested positive after the event on his ride home.
Trump is up and tweeting thanks to supporters
From CNN’s Sam Fossum
In his first tweet Sunday morning, President Trump retweeted a video of people gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and thanked them for their support.
“Thank you so much!,” the President wrote on Sunday.
Read the tweet:
More than 2.6 million general election ballots have been cast so far
From CNN’s Adam Levy
More than 2.6 million general election ballots have been cast with less than a month until election day, according to CNN and Edison Research’s survey of election officials in 24 states reporting voting data.
More than 1.8 million came from 10 of CNN’s most competitively-ranked states. In the six of those states reporting party data on ballots (Florida, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska, North Carolina and Pennsylvania), registered Democrats make up more than half the ballots returned.
This doesn’t indicate the ultimate outcome of these races. Polling shows President Trump’s supporters strongly prefer to vote in-person on election day.
“SNL” returns with Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump taking on Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden
From CNN’s Frank Pallotta
“Saturday Night Live” returned to a live studio audience at Studio 8H after months away because of coronavirus.
The NBC variety show opened with a sketch taking on this week’s presidential debate between President Trump, played by Alec Baldwin, and former Vice President Joe Biden, who was played by Jim Carrey.
“The following is a re-broadcast of Tuesday’s presidential debate, even though Tuesday feels 100 days ago,” a voice said opening the show. “We thought it was important to see it again since it might be the only presidential debate. And it was pretty fun to watch, as long as you don’t live in America.”
Moderator Chris Wallace, played by Beck Bennett, brought out Baldwin’s Trump first.
“And you did take the Covid test that you promised to take in advance, correct?” Bennett’s Wallace asked.
“Absolutely, scout’s honor,” Baldwin’s Trump responded with his fingers crossed.
Bennett’s Wallace then brought out Carrey’s Biden.
“Just one second, Chris,” he said, using a tape measure to put enough space between himself and Baldwin’s Trump.
Bennett’s Wallace said that it looked like Carrey’s Biden was ready to debate.
“Absolutely not,” he responded. “But I got the beginning of 46 fantastic ideas that I may or may not have access to.”
Then the debate kicked off. However, instead of a debate it was just Baldwin’s Trump and Carrey’s Biden yelling back and forth at each other.
“Chris Wallace is mean, the economy is mean. It keeps losing jobs, which is mean to me,” Baldwin’s Trump said. He then called the pandemic a hoax.
“That statement is something that will probably come back to haunt me later this week,” he said.
The show also took aim at the President’s condition.
“President Trump’s in the hospital from Covid, and I just want to say my heart goes out to Covid,” said comedian and host Chris Rock.
