Doctor: Trump improving

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump went through a “very concerning” period Friday and faces a “critical” next two days in his fight against COVID-19 at a military hospital, his chief of staff said Saturday — in contrast to a rosier assessment moments earlier by Trump doctors, who took pains not to reveal the president had received supplemental oxygen at the White House before his hospital admission.

Trump remained at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday. He offered his own assessment of his status Saturday evening in a video from his hospital suite, saying he was beginning to feel better and hoped to “be back soon.”

And he was back on social media early Sunday morning, sharing a video of flag-waving supporters, most not wearing masks, gathered outside Walter Reed.

“Thank you so much!” Trump tweeted at 7:18 a.m.

The day before, chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters outside the hospital, “We’re still not on a clear path yet to a full recovery.” In an update Saturday night, Trump’s chief doctor expressed cautious optimism but added that the president was “not yet out of the woods.”

The changing, and at times contradictory, accounts created a credibility crisis for the White House at a crucial moment, with the president’s health and the nation’s leadership on the line. With Trump expected to remain hospitalized several more days and the presidential election looming, his condition is being anxiously watched by Americans.

Moreover, the president’s health represents a national security issue of paramount importance not only to the functions of the U.S. government but also to countries around the world, friendly and otherwise.

Saturday’s briefing by Navy Cmdr. Dr. Sean Conley and other doctors raised more questions than it answered. Conley repeatedly refused to say whether the president ever needed supplemental oxygen, despite repeated questioning, and declined to share key details, including how high a fever Trump had been running before it came back down to a normal range. Conley also revealed that Trump had begun exhibiting “clinical indications” of COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon, earlier than previously known.

Conley spent much of the briefing dodging reporters’ questions as he was pressed for details.

“Thursday, no oxygen. None at this moment. And yesterday with the team, while we were all here, he was not on oxygen,” Conley said.

But according to a person familiar with Trump’s condition, Trump was administered oxygen at the White House on Friday morning, before he was transported to the military hospital by helicopter that evening. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity,

Conley said that Trump’s symptoms, including a mild cough, nasal congestion and fatigue, “are now resolving and improving,” and that the president had been fever-free for 24 hours. But Trump also is taking aspirin, which lowers body temperature and could mask or mitigate that symptom.

“He’s in exceptionally good spirits,” said another doctor, Sean Dooley. He said Trump’s heart, kidney and liver functions were normal and he was not having trouble breathing or walking around.

In an evening health update, Conley said Trump had been up and moving around his medical suite without difficulty and conducting business. “While not yet out of the woods, the team remains cautiously optimistic,” he said.

In the hospital video, Trump defended his decision to continue campaigning and holding large events during a pandemic.

“I had no choice,” said Trump, who refused to abide by basic public health recommendations, including mask-wearing. “I had to be out front. ... I can’t be locked up in a room upstairs and totally safe. ... As a leader, you have to confront problems.”

Trump also thanked his medical team and hailed the state-of-the-art treatments he was receiving, comparing them to “miracles coming down from God.” Trump’s medical care is far superior to the average American’s, with around-the-clock attention and experimental treatments.

The president was angry at Meadows’ public assessment of his health and, in an effort to prove his vitality, Trump ordered up the video and authorized longtime confidant Rudy Giuliani to release a statement on his behalf that he was feeling well, according to a Republican close to the White House not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.

Trump is 74 years old and clinically obese, putting him at higher risk of serious complications from a virus that has infected more than 7 million people nationwide and killed more than 209,000 people in the U.S.

First lady Melania Trump remained at the White House to recover from her own bout with the virus. She was “really handling it very nicely,” Trump said in the video, noting with a touch of humor that she was “just a little tiny bit younger” — in fact, 24 years younger.

Meadows himself had insisted Friday morning that Trump had only “mild symptoms” as the White House tried to project an image of normalcy. It was unclear whether Trump already had received oxygen when Meadows spoke.

“President Trump remains in good spirits, has mild symptoms and has been working throughout the day,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said late Friday. She said Trump had only been sent to Walter Reed as a precaution.

Trump’s administration has been less than transparent with the public throughout the pandemic, both about the president’s health and the virus’s spread inside the White House. The first word that a close aide to Trump had been infected came from the media, not the White House. And aides have repeatedly declined to share basic health information, including a full accounting of the president’s symptoms, what tests he’s undertaken and the results.

In a memo released late Friday, Conley did report that Trump had been treated at the hospital with remdesivir, an antiviral medication, after sharing that he’d taking another experimental drug at the White House.

Conley declined to say when Trump had last been tested before he was confirmed to have COVID-19 late Thursday. He initially suggested that Trump was 72 hours into the diagnosis — which would mean that he was confirmed infected Wednesday. Conley later clarified that Trump was administered an accurate test for the virus on Thursday afternoon, after White House aide Hope Hicks was confirmed to be positive and Trump exhibited “clinical indications” of the virus.

The White House has said Trump was expected to stay at the hospital for “a few days” and would continue to work from its presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to keep up his official duties. In addition to accessibility to tests and equipment, the decision to move to the hospital on Friday was made, at least in part, with the understanding that hurrying there later could send a worrying signal if he took a turn for the worse.

On Saturday, Conley said Trump’s blood oxygen level was 96%, which is in the normal range. The two experimental drugs he has received, given through an IV, have shown some promise against COVID-19. On Friday, he was given a single dose of a drug Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. is testing to supply antibodies to help his immune system fight the virus.

On Friday night, he began a five-day course of remdesivir, a Gilead Sciences drug currently used for moderately and severely ill patients. The drugs work in different ways — the antibodies help the immune system rid the body of virus and remdesivir curbs the virus’s ability to multiply.

“We’re maximizing all aspects of his care,” attacking the virus in multiple ways, Conley said. “I didn’t want to hold anything back if there was any possibility it would add value to his care.”

He noted that in many cases, COVID-19 can become more dangerous as the body responds. “The first week of COVID, and in particular day seven to 10, are the most critical in determining the likely course of this illness,” he said.

At the same time, the White House has been working to trace a flurry of new infections of close Trump aides and allies. Attention is focused in particular on the Sept. 26 White House event introducing Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. That day, Trump gathered more than 150 people in the Rose Garden, where they mingled, hugged and shook hands — overwhelmingly without masks. There were also several indoor receptions, where Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Amy Coney Barrett, her family, senators and others spent time in the close quarters of the White House, photographs show.

Among those who attended and have now tested positive: former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, the president of the University of Notre Dame and at least two Republican lawmakers — Utah Sen. Mike Lee and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. The president’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and the head of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, have also tested positive, though they were not at the event. Another prominent Republican who has tested positive: Sen. Ron Johnson. R-Wis.

One of the president’s personal assistants, Nick Luna, tested positive after having traveled with Trump several times recently, a White House official said Saturday night. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

___

Colvin and Miller reported from Washington. Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press chief medical writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

 

McConnell says Barrett hearings won't be affected by Senate's delayed return

Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett is seen on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in Washington. (Associated Press)

The full Senate won't return to the Capitol until Oct. 19 -- two weeks later than planned -- after at least three Republicans tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday.

But Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for President Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, will move forward on schedule, he added.

“The Senate’s floor schedule will not interrupt the thorough, fair and historically supported confirmation process,” McConnell wrote Saturday. “All Republican members of the committee will participate in these important hearings.”

He tweeted he had "another great call" with President Trump on Saturday, one day after the president announced he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus. Trump was later taken to Walter Reed Medical Center out of an “abundance of caution” hours later, and was expected to remain there for at least a few days.

“He sounds well and says he’s feeling good. We talked about the people’s business — fighting the pandemic, confirming Judge Barrett, and strengthening the economy for American families. Let’s keep our President & First Lady in our prayers,” McConnell, R-Ky., wrote.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. said Saturday the full Senate will return to the Capitol on Oct. 19. (Associated Press)

Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., both of the judiciary committee, confirmed they had tested positive Friday.

Another judiciary panel member, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., tweeted Saturday evening that he had tested negative.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., assured Friday the first hearing for Barrett would happen Oct. 12 as scheduled and said any members of the panel can join remotely if necessary.

On Saturday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., became the latest U.S. senator to announce he had tested positive. (Johnson is not a member of the judiciary committee.)

Other Republican senators said they’re waiting for results.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett is seen on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in Washington. (Associated Press)

Numerous GOP lawmakers attended a mostly unmasked White House Rose Garden ceremony Sept. 26 where Trump announced Barrett’s nomination.

With at least three Republican senators infected and others awaiting results, McConnell was without a fully working majority of 50 senators. He would need to rely on Vice President Mike Pence to be on hand to break any tie votes.

Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., balked at the idea Barrett’s confirmation hearings would go forward.

 

Cruz warns threat of Democrats packing Supreme Court 'is very real'

Democrats will seek to expand the Supreme Court if they retake the Senate and Joe Biden wins the White House this fall, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News' "Life, Liberty & Levin" in an interview airing Sunday.

"I don't think it's a bluff," Cruz told host Mark Levin. "Joe Biden is trying to hide from it. At the debate, he ran away screaming when asked. But I think that's where the Democratic Party is, and it's about power and it's about forcing compliance and I think we need to take that threat very, very seriously."

Cruz is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to begin hearings on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Oct. 12. Democrats and Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine have said that the Senate should not act on any nomination to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg until after the election.

"If the president of the United States [Donald Trump] had not nominated somebody, he would be the first president of the United States to not nominate somebody in the last year of a first term or a second term," Levin told Cruz. "As you well know, 22 presidents before him have done exactly the same thing. Twenty-nine nominees have been virtually exactly the same position as Amy Coney Barrett."

The host then accused Democrats of planning to "destroy the Supreme Court" by increasing the number of justices, "pack the United States Senate" by adding the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as states, and "destroy the [legislative] filibuster so they can get the Bernie Sanders-Joe Biden manifesto passed en masse without any opposition."

"In other words," Levin told Cruz, "they're going to burn down our constitutional system. Isn't that what they're saying?"

"That's exactly right," agreed Cruz, the author of the forthcoming book, "One Vote Away: How a Single Supreme Court Seat Can Change History."

"And the left, they believe in government," he added. "They believe in totalitarian control. The left, statists, are willing to use force ... The left is much more comfortable using force to enforce compliance. So when it comes to, for example, speech, the left wants to censor everyone who disagrees with [them].

"And a lot of people say, 'Well, both sides do it,'" Cruz went on. "No, that's not right. You and I aren't calling for Bernie Sanders or AOC to be censored. I'm actually perfectly fine for them to yabber on incessantly. Their ideas are are foolish and dangerous. And I think the best way to respond to it is sunlight and more attention. But the left is willing to use force."

 

Drive-thru voting, ballot drop-offs pop up in Minnesota, Texas, other states

Multiple jurisdictions throughout the U.S. are offering drive-thru voting and ballot drop-offs ahead of the 2020 presidential election in an innovative effort to promote safe and secure voting during the coronavirus pandemic.

Just as drive-thru COVID-19 testing became more prevalent as states brainstormed socially distant testing measures, counties across the U.S. are offering drive-thru or curbside voting and voter registration programs, as well as ballot drop-offs.

"Folks are taking advantage of this," Katie Lauer, a Minneapolis 2020 census outreach coordinator, told Fox News.

Like many other states, curbside voting has been around for years, mostly to ensure the safety of voters with disabilities who can not vote in person on Nov. 3. This year, she said, State Secretary Steve Simon opened curbside voting to any Minnesotan who wishes to vote from a vehicle.

Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services held drive-thru voting and opened two drive-thru ballot dropoff locations for absentee and mail-in ballots in August for its primary election.

"Here in Minneapolis...the numbers were pretty low," Lauer said of those who chose to take part in curbside voting, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been a large turnout; it just means people are generally comfortable with voting in-person or by mail.

MINNESOTA MAIL-IN VOTING: WHAT TO KNOW

At a Minneapolis curbside voting location, one can find election judges helping voters in their cars, talking to voters, handing them an iPad to verify their registration, giving verified voters physical paper ballots to fill out from the safety of their vehicles, putting completed ballots in a tabulator and giving voters a sticker to confirm that their ballots have been submitted, Lauer explained.

Harris County and Travis County have organized drive-thru voting measures; Harris County offered early drive-thru early polling locations on Oct. 29 and 30. Tarrant County organized an early ballot drop-off location that is open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

"My number one priority is to keep voters and poll workers safe," said Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins said in a statement on July 22 after the county conducted a drive-thru voting test run. "The feedback we received from the Drive-Thru Voting pilot proves that voters felt safe exercising their right to vote and that it was an easy and efficient alternative to going inside a voting center."

A Travis County spokesperson said the county is "still exploring every option to determine how [it] can best serve the voters."

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ABSENTEE VOTING AND UNIVERSAL VOTE-BY-MAIL? 

Outside of Minnesota and Texas, jurisdictions in states including Arizona, Michigan, California, Virginia, Alabama and others have also successfully implemented drive-thru voting and ballot drop-off locations.

In Coconino County, Arizona, election officials in Flagstaff have a drive-up service window for early voting, Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen said.

"We are also offering drive-up/ballot drop off service at a few locations in our county where we could not find secure locations for a ballot dropbox. This service will start the week after the early ballots are mailed to voters on October 12th," Hansen added.

Madison County, Alabama, is offering "Absentee Voter Assistance Sites" that "will operate as drive-thru only to ensure quicker assistance and provide for social distancing," according to the county's voter resource website.

RETURN TO SENDER: DC VOTERS ARE BEING SENT MAIL-IN BALLOTS FOR EX-RESIDENTS

"Personal protective equipment will be in place and used by those administering the process. These sites will operate a total of 15 days during the month prior to the General Election," the website states.

The Oakland-Alameda County, Calif., Coliseum Arena is offering in-person voting, curbside voting and drop-off locations for completed ballots.

"These unprecedented times have opened the door to new partnerships and creative strategies to enable safe, secure and convenient ways for Alameda County residents to cast their ballots," Scott Haggerty, Alameda County supervisor and Colesium Authority commissioner, said in a statement.

The efforts are likely to make the voting process easier during the pandemic as voters express concern over President Trump's remarks about potential mail-in ballot fraud and virus exposure in crowded polling places. Many U.S. counties offered drive-thru voting earlier this year during primary elections.

"I don't see why this couldn't be a safe and secure way of voting while also taking into account the possibility of infecting other voters," Ted Allen, an associate professor of Integrated Systems Engineering at The Ohio State University with experience studying in-person voting methods, told Fox News.

The difference between states' voting methods and drive-thru voting services will be in the details, he said.

75% OF AMERICANS CAN VOTE BY MAIL IN 2020, REPORT SAYS

"Drive-thru by itself is obviously not a problem but implications could cause disastrous problems if not planned properly," he said, adding that "lines are quite predictable" at a voting place, and officials should prepare ahead of time with "enough workers and multiple cues," big signs that direct drivers and appropriate technology since some voters and election officials could have trouble with tablets.

"I've gained a healthy respect for election officials and their ability to [prepare]," Allen said when asked whether it's too late for jurisdictions to implement drive-thru voting or ballot drop-offs for early voting or on Nov. 3.

He added that "as long as there is good flow through the parking lot, it doesn't seem like a major change that could cause major problems," but "the details do matter."

"There are complications, but there are complications with voting [in genera] during COVID," he said.

A voter casts a ballot at a drive-thru voting station in the Barre Civic Center in Vermont's statewide primary in Barre, Vt.  (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke, File)

Maryland state Del. Michelle Guyton has been pushing for the state to adopt curbside voting since she testified before the Maryland State Board of Elections (BOE) August.

"A voter arrives, is handed a ballot which they and fill out in the privacy and safety of their car, and then hands it to a poll worker or puts it directly in a machine," Guyton said in her testimony. "Current polling places, as well as drive-thru COVID-19 testing stations, can generally accommodate this option."

Guyton told Fox News that she was "disappointed that the BOE did not follow up or proactively investigate this option" after she presented it to them during a Ways and Means Committee hearing on a bill to increase voter access for those who have disabilities."

"I never received any response to this suggestion from the Board and so I am unable to share their explanation for not considering this option," she said. "...I do hope that moving forward the BOE and General Assembly will consider this option as a way to increase voter turnout and confidence, while also simplifying the process and keeping voters and poll workers safe."

Organizations have also stepped in to host drive-though voter registration events; many groups shared notices for these events on social media to help spread the word. In Texas, for example, the nonprofit MOVE Texas community outreach organization hosted a drive-thru voter registration event in San Antonio on Sept. 16.

 

Democrat 2020 News Cartoons

 

Gov. Cuomo criticized for falsely claiming nursing homes weren’t forced to accept COVID patients

In this Sept. 29, 2020 photo provided by the Office of New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Gov. Cuomo delivers a COVID-19 update during a briefing in New York City. (Kevin P. Coughlin/ Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo via AP)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 11:45 AM PT – Friday, October 2, 2020

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has come under fire for denying nursing homes were forced to accept COVID positive patients. In a press call Wednesday, he was asked about his March mandate, which ordered nursing homes to accept the readmission of COVID positive patients from hospitals.

According to New York’s Department of Health, more than 6,300 COVID patients were admitted to nursing home facilities. This move likely spiked the death rate in the state.

However, Cuomo has said the state never needed nursing home beds. He has suggested there were always other beds available.

“It just never happened that we needed a nursing home to take a COVID positive person,” he stated. “It never happened.”

An adviser claimed the governor was specifically referencing a shortage of hospital beds when he made the statement.

Cuomo has repeatedly been slammed over the nursing home mandate. He issued an executive order in May to ensure patients tested negative before being sent to nursing homes.

 

Cruz 'confident' Barrett will be confirmed to court by Election Day, expects 'political circus' from Democrats

Sen. Ted Cruz said Senate Democrats “will do everything they can” to turn the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett into a “political circus,” while saying he is “confident” the Senate will confirm her to the high court before Election Day.

During an exclusive interview with Fox News, Cruz, R-Texas, said he met with Barrett tor 45 minutes at the Capitol this week, and he praised President Trump’s nominee, saying he “fulfilled a promise to nominate a constitutionalist to the court.”

Cruz was included in the president's short list for potential nominees to the Supreme Court last month.

“I believe we will confirm Judge Barrett by the end of the month, before Election Day,” Cruz told Fox News. “And when we do, the Senate majority will be fulfilling our commitment to voters to confirm principled constitutionalists to the court.”

Senate Republicans have set an Oct. 12 target date to begin Barrett's confirmation hearings, and while Cruz is confident Senate Republicans will have the votes to confirm her to the vacancy left by late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, he warned that Senate Democrats “will do everything they can do to turn the confirmation hearing into a political circus.”

Cruz warned that Democrats could use “every procedural trick in the book, including potentially, some extreme tactics, like trying to boycott votes, filing frivolous motions to delay, things like even potentially impeaching the president yet again in the hopes that might delay the Senate.”

“But whatever antics they pull, I am confident the Senate majority will have the votes to set aside those delay tactics and to act expeditiously before Election Day,” Cruz said.

“There is sadly a long history of Democrats engaging in nasty, personal smears, going after nominees, going after their families, and we’ve already seen the beginning of that with Judge Barrett,” Cruz said, noting that some “Democratic operatives are targeting her young children.”

“It is despicable,” Cruz said. “Kids should be completely off bounds and nobody should be targeting young children.”

Cruz also added that he expects Senate Democrats to question Barrett on her faith, citing her confirmation hearing to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017, when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told Barrett that she was concerned over her Catholic beliefs, and particularly how she would apply them in cases involving abortion.

“Why is it that so many of us on this side have this very uncomfortable feeling that dogma and law are two different things, and I think whatever a religion is, it has its own dogma. The law is totally different,” Feinstein told Barrett, a Notre Dame law professor. “And I think in your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that’s of concern.”

Cruz slammed Feinstein, saying that “it seems to be the view among Democrats that Catholics, or Evangelicals, or Jews, or any people of faith, who take their faith seriously, are not eligible or fit to serve as judges or in federal office.”

“That position is not only morally wrong, it is unconstitutional,” he said. “The text of the Constitution explicitly prohibits a religious test for federal office.”

Meanwhile, during the coronavirus pandemic, while working from home in Texas, the senator wrote a book, titled “One Vote Away: How a Single Supreme Court Seat Can Change History.”

“I wrote it this spring and summer, during the COVID lockdown and while working from home,” Cruz told Fox News. “Each chapter addresses a different constitutional liberty – there is a chapter on free speech, on religious liberty, on the Second Amendment, on U.S. sovereignty, and on elections and democracy.”

Cruz told Fox News that one of the chapters focuses on Bush v. Gore, which he said is “something we may see reprised this election cycle.”

Cruz, prior to being elected to the Senate, was a litigator before the Supreme Court. The book shares his “war stories,” and gives a behind-the-scenes story of landmark cases.

“We take readers behind the curtain to understand what’s going on at the court, which is a mysterious institution to many people,” Cruz said, adding that he wanted to “help people to understand the justices.”

“I tell the story behind the cases and why they relate to our everyday life,” Cruz said. “And one of the things that is striking is just how many of these cases were decided 5-4, which means, we are just one vote away from losing many of our fundamental liberties.”

Cruz told Fox News that when he wrote the book, he “obviously did not know we would have a confirmation this October.”

“But I did know that we had an election coming up in November and that the Supreme Court was going to be one of the most important issues,” Cruz explained.

Cruz told Fox News he served on the legal team representing former President George W. Bush during Bush v. Gore before the Supreme Court.

“It took 36 days of chaos and uncertainty, where nobody in the country, or in the world, knew who the next president would be,” Cruz said.

“This time around, if Joe Biden loses, he has already been explicit that he will challenge the legitimacy of the election," Cruz said, adding that he “fully” expects Biden to file lawsuits, citing his “substantial team of lawyers.”

“Unlike 2000, the litigation may not be confined to one state,” Cruz said, noting that Bush v. Gore was focused on the state of Florida. “We could easily see multiple lawsuits in multiple states.”

Cruz warned that without a nine-justice Supreme Court, a contested election could send the country into a “constitutional crisis.”

“The Senate has a responsibility to ensure we have a fully functional nine-justice Supreme Court to resolve whatever happens,” Cruz explained. “It is important to understand that I don’t want a justice who will vote for my particular candidate – that is not the job of a justice.”

He added: “What all of us should expect is a justice who will follow the law and follow the Constitution, so if either side challenges the election, that litigation could easily go to the Supreme Court, and we need a fully functioning nine-justice court to be able to resolve the matter with certainty and finality.”

Meanwhile, Fox News asked Cruz, who was a finalist in the 2016 Republican presidential primary against Trump, if he would mount a White House bid in 2024.

“I certainly hope to run again,” Cruz told Fox News. “It is no secret that I hope to run again. In 2016, we came very, very close. We won 12 states and received nearly 8 million votes nationwide, we had 326,000 volunteers across the country, and we raised more than $92 million, which is the most money any GOP candidate has ever raised in the primary – more than McCain, Bush or Romney.”

Cruz touted the “grassroots team” that came together surrounding his candidacy, calling it “extraordinary.”

“It was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. “I loved every minute – the ups and the downs.”

But Cruz said that right now, his focus is to help the president to get reelected, grow the majority in the Senate, and “help take the gavel out of Speaker Pelosi’s hands” in the House.

“After the election, regardless of who wins or loses, these fights will continue,” he said. “Our nation is a nation divided, and I am committed to fighting in the long term for low taxes, low regulations, lots and lots of jobs, for safety and security for the country, and for defending the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.”

He added: “Those are lifelong passions and I feel blessed to be in an arena to fight for them now.”

Cruz also said that Republicans “need to do a much, much better job” to reach a broader audience.

“We need to spent more time reaching out to people who are not necessarily engaged in the political process, young people, Hispanics, African Americans, suburban moms,” Cruz said. “And making the case for the blessings of liberty and the tremendous success story of the American free enterprise system.”

Cruz said “that is a big part of the reason I wrote my book.”

“I think we need to do a much better job winning the hearts and minds,” he said. “To try to reach people who might not otherwise focus on the need to defend the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.”

 

Dr. Qanta Ahmed: Trump COVID-19 hospitalization doesn’t mean he’s seriously ill — I expect his full recovery

The decision to hospitalize President Trump on Friday night for several days after he tested positive for COVID-19 appears to be a wise one, taken out of an abundance of caution. It shouldn’t lead anyone to conclude he is seriously ill at this time.

As a pulmonologist and intensive care physician who has treated COVID-19 patients at NYU Langone Health, where I practice, I know full well that the disease caused by the coronavirus can be quite serious — and fatal in some cases. But importantly, I also know that the vast majority of COVID-19 patients recover from the disease.

The statistics tell the story. The confirmed death toll in the U.S. from COVID-19 is 208,520 at this writing — certainly a tragic toll. But there have been more than 7.3 million confirmed cases of the disease in this country. The overwhelming majority of patients infected with the coronavirus have fully recovered.

It is my heartfelt prayer that President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who has also tested positive, will be among those who recover from COVID-19. The odds are certainly in their favor.

The president is not and never has been my patient. I have never examined him and I don’t have access to his medical records. But based on news reports and statements from the White House, it appears to me that the main reason he has been hospitalized is because of the importance of his position as leader of our nation, rather than because of the seriousness of his condition.

President Trump is now reported by the White House to be mildly symptomatic with fatigue. He walked independently and with a strong stride to the helicopter taking him to Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Maryland on Friday night, and was not receiving oxygen. He spoke on a brief video shortly before he headed for the hospital and did not appear short of breath.

This leads me to believe that if Donald Trump was still a businessman he would not be hospitalized right now. But the president of the United States requires the highest possible level of health care, with every precaution taken. He will be able to get whatever he needs at Walter Reed, so taking him there makes sense.

As president, Trump has access to the best medical minds in the nation in infectious diseases, pulmonary critical care medicine, and immunology. He will very likely be given the most sophisticated medical tests to diagnose the impact of COVID-19 on his body.

We can be absolutely certain that the president's blood oxygen levels are being readily assessed and frequently or possibly continually monitored, since many COVID-19 patients who fall seriously ill develop low oxygen levels even before symptoms are apparent. If there is a need, he can receive low-flow oxygen and his response can be carefully assessed.

Decisions that the president’s physicians are taking now are aimed at reducing the viral burden on his body as quickly as possible. This can include the use of experimental treatments that doctors believe will be helpful.

The Boston Globe reported Friday that President Trump’s physician has provided medical records that confirm the president is 6-foot-3 and weighed 244 pounds in May. This would give him a calculated body mass index of 30.4, which just crosses into the threshold of Class I obesity.

Obesity is a recognized risk factor that can sometimes lead to more severe coronavirus infections. In fact, some of the first definitive data on outcomes in hospitalized obese coronavirus patients actually came from NYU Langone Health, the hospital I am affiliated with.

In addition to being overweight, President Trump is 74. His age puts him at higher risk than people who have not yet reached senior citizen status.

But it’s important to remember that despite his obesity and age, the odds are extremely favorable for President Trump’s full and complete recovery for three reasons: His disease was detected very early due to the frequent testing he receives; he has access to extraordinary medical care and experimental treatments as announced, including receiving the drug Regeneron; and apart from COVID-19, he has been reported to be in good overall health.

The president is publicly documented to be on two medicines for high cholesterol and on aspirin. This is consistent with good preventive medicine at maintaining a healthy lipid profile, which is important in many older men and is nothing unusual.

It is clear to anyone observing President Trump in public that he has tremendous energy and stamina, and keeps a rigorous schedule. Fortunately, he has no known history of diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic kidney disease — all risk factors for worsening the course of COVID-19.

The president does not take any drugs to suppress his immune system, does not have cancer, and does not have any lung disease or other serious illness that makes it very difficult for his body to fight off the coronavirus. These factors all point to a high likelihood of his recovery from COVID-19.

The president also benefits by the fact that 10 months into the coronavirus pandemic, doctors and medical researchers know a lot more about the coronavirus and COVID-19 than we did last winter. As a result, there are now better treatments, improved outcomes, and a lower fatality rate caused by the disease.

Doctors understand that no specific treatments have been found to be effective in the initial stage of COVID-19, when patients experience no symptoms or only mild symptoms like the ones the president is reported to be experiencing.

Strategies to reduce the viral burden include convalescent plasma, as documented in a study published in Journal of the American Medical Association in August. The plasma comes from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and who have produced antibodies in their blood that can fight the coronavirus.

The study showed that in those patients with severe cases of COVID-19 receiving convalescent plasma, 91.3% experienced clinical improvement — compared to 68.2% of patients not receiving convalescent plasma.

The study also showed that convalescent plasma is the fastest way to clear the body of coronavirus infection. The coronavirus was undetectable within 72 hours in patients participating in the study who were treated with convalescent plasma.

However, convalescent plasma requires invasive monitoring and the insertion of intravenous lines, and may also cause patients to experience allergic reactions.

This is why Regeneron — containing genetically engineered antibodies — is so exciting. Now a trial drug, the fact that it is being used to treat President Trump shows his physicians are thinking of the most imaginative strategies possible to restore him to good health.

We are likely to see that Regeneron will become approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a coronavirus treatment for more people who are infected if clinical trials show promise for the experimental drug.

Targeting the coronavirus with an antibody that neutralizes the virus — as Regeneron does —and renders it incapable of entering human cells will immediately lower the viral burden. This will protect the body from the intense immune response to the virus that has made so many people severely ill.

Doctors are clearly aiming to clear the president’s body of coronavirus as quickly as possible and reduce the chances of his body responding with an intense immune storm that could have more widespread impact.

When the president ultimately recovers — and all indications at this time point to his full recovery — his body will develop its own innate immunity to the coronavirus. This should give him sufficient protection from a repeat infection until vaccines likely become available in the coming months.

One thing is clear: President Trump’s own health will now benefit from the farsighted programs he launched to battle the coronavirus. These include Operation Warp Speed, the most rapid vaccine development program in history; the use of the Defense Production Act to require companies to manufacture items needed to protect Americans from COVID-19; and massive funding for the development of drugs and a coronavirus vaccine.

Regardless of political party, I know that the American people join me in praying for and wishing our president and first lady a full recovery and their doctors every success. I have unwavering confidence and faith in the abilities of doctors to treat both President and Melania Trump in the short term, and to develop effective vaccines and ever-more effective treatments for COVID-19 to protect us all in the months ahead.