memeorandum: The virus slams into a broken Washington (Jake Sherman/Politico)

4:50 PM ET, October 3, 2020

Top Items:

Official: Next 48 hours critical for Trump on virus fight — BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump went through a “very concerning” period Friday and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care as he battles the coronavirus at a military hospital, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Saturday.

Discussion: BuzzFeed News, CNN, Slate, The Daily Dot, STAT, POLITICUSUSA, NPR, Washington Post, Reuters, KOIN-TV, KXAN-TV, Associated Press, Denver Post, Political Wire, NBC Chicago, The Gateway Pundit and The Guardian

New York Times:

A White House Long in Denial Confronts Reality — The infections were a byproduct, former aides said, of the recklessness and top-down culture of fear that President Trump created at the White House and throughout his administration. — WASHINGTON — As America locked down this spring during …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA and Raw Story

CNN:

Attorney General Barr chooses not to quarantine despite possible exposure to Covid-19 — (CNN)Attorney General William Barr is choosing not to quarantine after recently coming in close contact with members of President Donald Trump's inner circle who have tested positive for Covid-19 …

Discussion: Law & Crime, ABC7, PinkNews, Political Wire, Washington Post and BuzzFeed News

New York Times:

Trump's Symptoms Are ‘Very Concerning’ as Virus Infects More G.O.P. Allies — Doctors refused to provide critical details and left open the impression that the president was known to be sick a day earlier than previously reported. — WASHINGTON — President Trump's vital signs were …

Discussion: New Yorker, Reuters, Vox, Real Clear Politics, Vanity Fair, Axios, Slate, The Gateway Pundit, Duluth News Tribune, KXAN-TV and Deadline, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

Covid-19 Live Updates: Trump Is Hospitalized as More Aides Test Positive — The president is at the Walter Reed military hospital for what is expected to be a stay of a few days. His campaign manager is among the latest senior aides also found to be infected.

Discussion: Politico, BuzzFeed News, Axios, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NPR, New York Post, Florida Politics, Mediaite, Daily Kos, Conservative News Today, IJR, Al Jazeera, Gothamist, The Guardian, Twin Cities, ABC7 and Balloon Juice, more at Mediagazer »

Axios:

The GOP's great depression — It's the storyline of a Republican nightmare: A mask-disdaining President Trump gets the coronavirus on the eve of the election, against a political backdrop that looks dire for Republicans. — Driving the news: Some top GOP operatives, privy to data from swing states …

Discussion: NBC News, Associated Press, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Wall Street Journal, Raw Story and The Week

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:

Trump campaign manager tests positive for Covid-19 — Donald Trump's campaign manager has tested positive for Covid-19, dealing another blow to his reelection effort on a day that saw the president and the head of the Republican National Committee report contracting the disease as well.

Discussion: Fox News, Raw Story, NPR, Forbes, The Hill, CANNONFIRE, One America News Network, Breitbart, Axios, New York Post, Slate, Mediaite, Twitchy, ABC News and New York Times

ABC News:

Trump COVID-19 live updates: President was on oxygen on Friday, sources say — Trump's “vitals over last 24 hours were very concerning,” a source said. — Understanding the president's symptoms — ABC News Medical Contributor Dr. John Brownstein explains President Donald Trump's symptoms …

Discussion: Political Wire, The Daily Beast and The Sun

Politico:
White House triggers questions and confusion about Trump's coronavirus case

Discussion: Fox News, The Atlantic, Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, The Guardian and Raw Story

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Reality Bursts the Trumpworld Bubble

Discussion: The Sun, The Hill, Gothamist and The Week

Apoorva Mandavilli / New York Times:
The White House relied on a rapid test, but used it in a way it was not intended.

Discussion: Raw Story, DCReport.org, CNBC, Slate, Forbes and The Week

Deb Riechmann / Associated Press: Of presidents and health, history replete with secrecy, lies

Emma Newburger / CNBC:
Chris Christie tests positive for coronavirus

Discussion: Politico, Fox News, CNN, Mediaite, OpsLens and New York Post

Sam Gringlas / NPR:
Trump's Doctor Says He's ‘Doing Very Well,’ But Source Calls Next 48 Hours ‘Critical’

Discussion: NBC News, CNN, ABC News, BuzzFeed News, Bloomberg, Law & Crime, Mediaite, Slate, UPI, Al Jazeera, Associated Press and Task & Purpose

McKay Coppins / The Atlantic:
Pence in the Wings — Above the fireplace in the vice-presidential residence hangs a plaque …

Discussion: CNN, Politico and The Daily Beast

Associated Press:
Eric Trump set to speak with N.Y. investigators Monday about family business

Discussion: Breitbart, The Hill, The American Spectator, Political Wire, The Guardian, Daily Kos, RochesterFirst and Common Dreams

Washington Post:
Invincibility punctured by infection: How the coronavirus spread in Trump's White House

Orion Rummler / Axios:
Chris Christie tests positive for coronavirus

Discussion: Bloomberg, Breitbart and The Hill

The Daily Beast:
'It's Just F*ck-Up After F*ck-up'—Trump's COVID Advisers at Their Breaking Point

Discussion: Daily Kos, Raw Story, Forbes, ABC7, POLITICUSUSA, The Slot, Bangor Daily News and Associated Press

Bloomberg:
The Day Covid-19 Came to Trump's White House

Discussion: NPR, The Dispatch and Wired

Peter Nicholas / The Atlantic:
What I Saw at the White House

Discussion: Daily Kos, Florida Politics, CNBC, Lawyers, Guns & Money, No More Mister Nice Blog, CNN, Vox, The Week and Yahoo News

Jake Sherman / Politico:

The virus slams into a broken Washington — Let's not mince words: Washington has been plunged into a crisis of historic proportions, frozen by a disease it is both unwilling and unable to control. — Washington crises typically conform to a predictable rhythm: They simmer, boil and come to their expected conclusion.

Briana Reilly / madison.com:

After testing positive for COVID-19, Ron Johnson says he's still against mask mandates — After testing positive for COVID-19, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said his view on mask mandates hasn't changed, as Wisconsin Republican leaders have voiced their support for striking down the state's order requiring face coverings be worn.

Discussion: Politico and Breitbart

Jonathan H. Adler / Reason:

Will the Senate Have a Quorum to Confirm Judge Barrett? (Updated) … This means that the Senate needs 51 Senators to conduct business on the floor. This might present a problem for Senate Republican plans to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. — There are 53 Republican Senators.

Discussion: American Prospect and Althouse

CNN:

Senate GOP's third positive Covid-19 case threatens quick Barrett confirmation — (CNN)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 …

Discussion: The Guardian, Forbes, Occupy Democrats, Bangor Daily News, Common Dreams, Axios, Vox, UPI, Slate, CNBC, The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Law & Crime, LifeSiteNews, Politico and Bloomberg

Claudia Grisales / NPR:

McConnell Seeks Agreement To Delay Senate's Return Amid Positive Coronavirus Tests — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday that he'll seek to obtain a consent agreement to delay the return of Senate from Monday to Oct. 19 in the wake of three GOP senators testing positive for the coronavirus.

Discussion: New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Vox, Bloomberg, Political Wire, Florida Politics, Esquire, Townhall, Al Jazeera, Roll Call and Washington Times

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Looking for a single responsible Republican in the Senate

Discussion: New York Times

Axios:
Senate postpones floor activity, but not Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearings

Discussion: Washington Post, Reuters, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, TheBlaze, The Hill and One America News Network

Chad Pergram / Fox News: How Friday was an inflection point for the country and fight against coronavirus

Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Pence tests negative again for virus as Trump remains in hospital

Discussion: Breitbart and New York Post

Nate Cohn / New York Times:

Poll Finds Voters in Two Crucial States Repelled by Trump's Debate Behavior — NEW YORK TIMES/ — SIENA COLLEGE POLL — Joe Biden leads Donald Trump in Florida and Pennsylvania. Both states are crucial to Mr. Trump's re-election chances. — 2016 Election Result NYT/Siena — Pennsylvania

Discussion: Politico, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, The American Independent, Florida Politics and Slate

Politico:

Sexts and coronavirus: Must-win Senate race upended down the stretch — It was a crazy 24 hours in North Carolina's Senate race: Just a few hours after Republican Sen. Thom Tillis reported a positive coronavirus diagnosis on Friday evening, his Democratic opponent Cal Cunningham admitted …

Discussion: Reuters, Power Line, Associated Press, The Daily Beast, Townhall, CNN, Vox, Talking Points Memo, Big League Politics and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Gary D. Robertson / Associated Press:
Cunningham admits sending sexually suggestive texts

Discussion: NBC News, Raleigh News & Observer and The Gateway Pundit

Tory Newmyer / Washington Post:
N.C. Democratic challenger apologizes for intimate texts to a woman who is not his wife

Discussion: Axios and National Review

Chris McGreal / The Guardian:

'It's a hoax. There's no pandemic': Trump's base stays loyal as president fights Covid … Sean Patterson is not worried that Donald Trump has been hospitalized with coronavirus because he believes what the president tells him. — “It's a hoax. There's no pandemic.

Discussion: Raw Story