The Note: Trump’s conspiracy-mongering draws only scattered GOP pushback
Trump has chosen to spend this moment of his presidency renewing grudges.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
The nation is confronting a grim milestone and an uncertain road ahead in the COVID-19 crisis.
President Donald Trump has chosen to spend this moment of his presidency pursuing conspiracy theories and renewing grudges. Most of his Republican Party is standing by and watching.
It's become notable when Trump faces any GOP criticism at all for something he does or says at this stage of his presidency. So it's news when Sen. Mitt Romney, Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger call on Trump to stop spreading a scurrilous and unfounded rumor about MSNBC host Joe Scarborough.
But the list of Republicans standing up to the president is short. And while the Scarborough tweets have set some off, the president is also threatening to shut down Twitter using unspecified presidential powers, spreading misinformation about mail-in voting and continuing to rant about something he calls "Obamagate."
He is also flouting his own administration's guidance when it comes to wearing masks in public. His campaign is pushing a rewritten narrative -- fueled by a new, seven-figure national ad buy -- about the president's response to the current crisis, which the president himself insists was "very fast."
Former Vice President Joe Biden responded to the milestone of 100,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 with a video message referencing his own history with grief.
"There are moments in our history so grim, so heart-rending that they're forever fixed in each of our hearts as shared grief. Today is one of those moments," Biden said Wednesday.
Trump previously suggested that the death toll would never approach the current levels. His actions this week have reached new levels of provocation and outrage, and while some Republicans are speaking up, most simply are not.
The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks
Trump's words have the potential to shape public opinion in the case of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis as well the country's larger response to yet another example of apparent egregious violence by police against a black man.
When asked if the police officers involved in the case should be prosecuted, Trump said Wednesday, "We are going to look at it," and added that his team expected to get a "very full report" this week.
He called it "a very sad day" and tweeted that he asked for an expedited investigation by the FBI and Justice Department, but stopped short of talking next steps yet. Over Twitter, some leading members of the Republican Party, including, Sen. Tim Scott, called for the officers themselves to be arrested and more information gathered nationwide on episodes of police brutality.
On the Democratic side, any congressional oversight of the case could have veepstakes implications. Minnesota's Sen. Amy Klobuchar not only represents Floyd's home state, but has long been on the presumed shortlist for potential running mates for Joe Biden.
During her presidential campaign, Klobuchar faced tough questions from the black community about her decisions as a former prosecutor. Now she's joining other Democrats from the Minnesota delegation in calling for sweeping investigations into Floyd's death at both state and federal levels.
The TIP with Kendall Karson
The president's sudden public musings about where to hold the convention have landed him in familiar territory: in a standoff with a popular Democratic governor in a battleground state.
Trump said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's decision on whether the city of Charlotte will be able to host a convention with "full attendance" must come "within a week," or the RNC will yank the gathering in favor of a state further along in the reopening process. Even with all three GOP state leaders in Florida, Georgia and Texas knocking on Trump's door to host the event, North Carolina's chief is staying on track with planning, for now.
The governor's office is still awaiting a plan from the RNC, a spokesperson said, about how to pull off the full-scale event Trump desires safely -- shifting responsibility onto national Republicans. The city and county are continuing to plan for the convention, steered by national and state protocols on the coronavirus -- with guidance on how to execute the large-scale event expected to come in June. And Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday, "While I've remained consistent in my statements regarding the RNC being held in Charlotte, the science and data will ultimately determine what we will collectively do for our city."
But with Republicans in a holding pattern, sources told ABC News that some state parties have not received hotel reservations promised weeks ago -- underscoring just how uncertain planning is at this point.
BRINGING AMERICA BACK
Walt Disney World announced a phased reopening plan for its parks. First up: Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Park on July 11. Read this story and more by checking out Bringing America Back, an ABC News feature that highlights the day's top stories in economic recovery and medical preparedness amid the coronavirus pandemic.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Thursday morning's episode features University of Chicago economics professor and ABC News contributor Austan Goolsbee, who tells us what to make of major layoffs at companies like Boeing and Hertz. Gwen Carr, mother of the late Eric Garner, joins us to discuss the protests in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd. Then, ABC News' Conor Finnegan explains why the U.S. government no longer views Hong Kong as autonomous from mainland China. http://apple.co/2HPocUL
ABC News' "Powerhouse Politics" podcast. Iowa's junior senator, Joni Ernst, said Wednesday that while she would "love to rub a little Iowa nice off" on President Donald Trump, his leadership style is different from hers and if he changed it, he may not get as much attention from the media. https://apple.co/2MauH3T
The FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast. This installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast keys in on the presumptive presidential nominees' relationships with important parts of their coalitions. First, in an interview on "The Breakfast Club," former Vice President Joe Biden said, "If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black." The crew talks about Biden's relationship with black voters, then debates the findings of a new study suggesting that -- contrary to the conventional wisdom -- President Donald Trump does not have a unique appeal to white working-class voters. https://53eig.ht/2M0rQx6
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