Trump begins the April 23 #TrumpPressBriefing by claiming that he's spoken with unnamed "numerous" world leaders over the past two days and "they are saying we are leading the way" in the coronavirus response. (The US has the most cases and the most deaths.) pic.twitter.com/Emnyk8XelX
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2020
Every time Pence acknowledges the dead Americans, even by rote, it highlights Trump’s failure to do so.
— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) April 23, 2020
The day after the US recorded it signle biggest number of deaths, the President and Vice President suggest there is "promising signs of progress"
— Alan Fisher (@AlanFisher) April 23, 2020
and then it all went to shit…
This is the most off-the-rails Five O’Clock Follies ever.
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) April 23, 2020
The president seems really rather agitated and insane even for him
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) April 23, 2020
I do believe that Trump just suggested that people get injected with bleach. The only way I would do that is if this continues for several more hours.
— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) April 23, 2020
It is incomprehensible to me that a moron like this holds the highest office in the land and that there exist people stupid enough to think this is ok. I can't believe that in 2020 I have to caution anyone listening to the president that injecting disinfectant could kill you. https://t.co/O3fBrEPPWo
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 23, 2020
Are we being set up to conclude that the virus will go away in summer?
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) April 23, 2020
a national nightmare just day after day after day https://t.co/4AQ3dXctZk
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) April 23, 2020
"The disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning. It gets in the lungs" — Trump seems to suggests that injecting disinfectant inside people could be a treatment for the coronavirus pic.twitter.com/amis9Rphsm
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 23, 2020
“Supposing we hit the body with tremendous, ultra-violet or just very powerful light? Supposing you brought the light inside the body, either through the skin, or some other way?” pic.twitter.com/6cCILilQiV
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) April 23, 2020
More Trump on his ideas for treatment: “And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in one minute. Is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning … it would be interesting to check that.”
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) April 23, 2020
Jonestown was always the destination, but it was reached earlier than expected. https://t.co/XD0U9ZOMeO
— Clay Harris 🇪🇺 (@mudlarklives) April 23, 2020
Trump #Imbleachment
— Dave Perrino @🏡 (@DavePerrino) April 23, 2020
Not only are we one year or more away from a vaccine, but there are also concerns about U.S.'s ability to mass produce it. https://t.co/DOjfFGDjfX https://t.co/5Whxn1ppQH
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) April 23, 2020
Trump, when asked by @weijia about the below comment from Dr. Fauci: "I don't agree with him if he said that." https://t.co/ELkotH1rw0
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) April 23, 2020
Trump again accuses Doctors and Nurses of stealing masks and selling them on the black market.
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) April 23, 2020
“The Trump captivity of the GOP has reached its sad, inevitable destination: a failed presidency defended by a cowed party.” https://t.co/9JbSWQfcOP
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 23, 2020
Meanwhile…
This is a national tragedy:
More than 5,700 veterans cared for by VA have been infected. Nearly 380 have died
1,900 VA healthcare workers have been infected. 20 have died
Another 3,600 VA healthcare workers are quarantined and unable to work https://t.co/Dec8mww64f
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) April 23, 2020
JUST IN: The number of veterans who have died at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, rises to 68. https://t.co/lxaHBFUQBB pic.twitter.com/BKuTBxDV5g
— ABC News (@ABC) April 23, 2020
NEW: McConnell sparks bipartisan backlash with state bankruptcy remarks https://t.co/6YnLQwnVSR pic.twitter.com/VH4KwOLwDM
— The Hill (@thehill) April 23, 2020
Cuomo: Let’s talk about fairness, Mitch
NYS puts $116 billion more into the federal pot than we take out.
Kentucky TAKES $148 billion more from the federal pot than they put in.
But we don't deserve help now because the 15,000 people who died here were predominately democrats?
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) April 23, 2020
McConnell just bought $21 million of ads in NC because he’s scared shitless that @CalforNC might flip the seat that costs Mitch his majority.
Cal is great, check out his @PodSaveAmerica interview here: https://t.co/ExL9D6ZpbE
And donate here!
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) April 23, 2020
The Wisconsin GOP treasurer asked rally attendees to “please leave Confederate flags and/or AR15s, AK47s, or any other long guns at home” when coming to the rally Friday in Madison to “try to control the optics.”https://t.co/OX79VY6S6I pic.twitter.com/MtuWXFGREy
— Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) April 23, 2020
NEW: Georgia governor faces growing pressure to reverse course on decision to open businesses, but shows no signs of reversal https://t.co/62yLuwL1gh pic.twitter.com/wRlR3ikc3R
— The Hill (@thehill) April 23, 2020
— David C Lowery (@davidclowery) April 23, 2020
It should come as no surprise that parts of the country that previously scoffed at social isolation guidelines are now being hit – and hit increasingly hard – by #coronavirus https://t.co/WrXfHo4prz
— West Wing Reports (edited by Paul Brandus) (@WestWingReport) April 23, 2020
***
BORIS IS RISEN! BREXITSHAMBLES BRITAIN
As the British government comes under mounting criticism for its response to the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his aides have defended themselves by saying they are “guided by the science.”
The trouble is, nobody knows what the science is.https://t.co/Xl1PHy3CeC
— Brexitshambles (@brexit_sham) April 23, 2020
Excellent news: Boris Johnson tells friends he will return to work on Monday https://t.co/VgiirNQBXU
— Nile Gardiner (@NileGardiner) April 23, 2020
Friday's Express: “Mass testing to get Britain ‘back on her feet’” #TomorrowsPapersToday #BBCPapers (via @hendopolis) pic.twitter.com/68J3Yp0QVi
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 23, 2020
“For the economy’s sake, for businesses' sake, for jobs' sake, we have to accept a little bit of risk”
Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told @EmmaBarnett he thinks the government are being too cautious with lockdown measures
📻 @BBCSounds – https://t.co/4SnxX44AQs pic.twitter.com/CWQUnCeYMs
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) April 23, 2020
jesus…
"If Dame Vera Lynn’s generation could endure that child-killer, diptheria, then we can handle Covid" writes @allisonpearson#coronavirus #covid19 https://t.co/m0kpMrmdk1
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) April 21, 2020
Hah!
Donald Trump has asked the UK Government to bail out his golf courses in Scotlandhttps://t.co/kNHzfaBwsr
— The National (@ScotNational) April 23, 2020
Surely Britannia Unchained will just tell Trumpski to fuck off? https://t.co/V3HW0H2sxa
— Elinor Elliot (@ElliotElinor) April 23, 2020
Sky did a poll.
"How much do you trust the following on #Coronavirus"
1) NHS
2) Chris Whitty
3) Boris Johnson
4) Patrick VallanceKeir Starmer in negative, but look at the state of journalists and newspapers.
Seems about right. ARE YOU LISTENING JOURNALISTS!#PressBriefing pic.twitter.com/Qei9E8oC1N
— News Addict 🇬🇧 (@addicted2newz) April 23, 2020
Posters appear on the streets of London thanking Boris Johnson, for having largest Coronavirus death toll in Europe
Now, where have we seen that tactic before? pic.twitter.com/JLL1oC8C2B
— Double Down News (@DoubleDownNews) April 23, 2020
My Nan’s best friend lives at the end of the garden, so they open their adjoining gate (best friend goals), take a chair and sit and talk to each other either side wearing their masks. It was today I found out that this is the mask my Nan has been wearing. pic.twitter.com/MLR2PZSuqE
— Miss S (@teachinginge) April 23, 2020
***
WORLDWIDE
China donates additional $30 million to World Health Organization after Trump halts US funding https://t.co/AUjWlzXQ2k pic.twitter.com/4TED6eAgwo
— The Hill (@thehill) April 23, 2020
France becomes the latest country to ban firms registered in offshore tax havens from its government coronavirus bailout.
It is an opportunity to make a dent in tax avoidance.
When is the UK going to do the decent thing @BorisJohnson ?https://t.co/TO8txlGcme— Prem Sikka (@premnsikka) April 23, 2020
The Secret to Germany’s COVID-19 Success: Angela Merkel Is a Scientist
Angela Merkel is a Scientist
Donald Trump is a brain-dead Space Cadethttps://t.co/zVf5WnpkEN pic.twitter.com/QZeq55vEGM— 🖕🏻Aunt Crabby calls Bullshit 🖕🏻 (@DearAuntCrabby) April 23, 2020
Rome to take full control of Alitalia in June: minister https://t.co/fP5cRQojAt pic.twitter.com/7irs2OnLlf
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 23, 2020
A Japanese airline flew a plane from Shanghai to Tokyo, filling seats with coronavirus supplies instead of passengers, buckling in boxes of masks, protective clothing and other medical goods. https://t.co/UtVPfXdpW9 pic.twitter.com/SlkeJvtMl8
— ABC News (@ABC) April 23, 2020
Dubai opens restaurants and cafes, resumes public transportation https://t.co/sMK4u95G6k pic.twitter.com/tMTWFw0kV5
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 23, 2020
Drone footage of Paris without traffic or people right now. It looks beautiful, honestly.
— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) April 23, 2020
Spain cancels famed Tomatina tomato fight festival for 2020, amid coronavirus crisis. https://t.co/AVLBNhE4wr pic.twitter.com/Dfk4VQb7nc
— ABC News (@ABC) April 23, 2020
The Overnight Note 