A Complete Analysis Of Trump’s 188th Unpresidented Week As POTUS

Trump’s first major typo after winning the election was spelling Unprecedented incorrectly. He infamously tweeted “Unpresidented.” This typo is emblematic of his administration: An impulsive, frantically thrown together group of characters with virtually no oversight. After Trump was sworn in, I started writing the weekly “Unpresidented” column, analyzing every week of his presidency. This is week 188.

At the Republican National Convention (RNC), President Trump’s message was crystal clear. Trump argued that only he could stop the racial unrest that he himself has incited. Trump claimed that only he can rebuild the economy that his negligence helped destroy. Trump alleged that only he can navigate America out of the coronavirus pandemic that he failed to contain. In other words, Trump is telling voters to re-elect him to save them from his own failures.

It’s a bold strategy for the incumbent President to blame their current failures on their opponent. Republicans claimed they were going to present an optimistic view of America at the RNC. Instead, we saw a dark, dystopian depiction of America that simply isn’t true. If the RNC’s goal was to fill it with so many false claims, hypocrisies, corrupt abuses of presidential power for political stunts, bad-faith attacks on Democrats, and projection that it makes fact-checkers and live-tweeters exhausted, they succeeded.

RNC speakers repeatedly asserted that riots are a taste of Biden’s America during *checks notes* a convention for the incumbent president Donald Trump. It wasn’t enough to use footage of Trump’s America to somehow claim that it’s Biden’s America. The RNC straight up used footage from Spain. We also learned that two of the people who were in Trump’s naturalization ceremony didn’t know they were going to be featured in the RNC, then we learned two black women who were in Trump’s video on housing weren’t told they’d be in the RNC. Not only are they exploiting people as political props, they were doing it without their explicit consent.

We saw the exploitation of the White House for campaign purposes and violating the Hatch Act. The RNC gathered massive crowds of people together for an extended period of time with no COVID-19 testing or mask mandates. The RNC was a microcosm of the Trump presidency – careless corruption at the expense of Americans.

There was also a lot of projection. Republicans falsely painted the Democratic Party as autocratic socialists when Trump and the GOP have embraced authoritarianism, with some historians going as far as to call it fascism. Trump’s propagandization of the term “radical left”, while his party is the definition of the radical right, has been one of his most persistent projections. The GOP, by every single measure, is much further extreme right than the Democrats are left.

For all the criticism Democrats have unjustly received over the past year saying they only talk about what they’re against and not what they’re for, compare the DNC and RNC. The Democratic National Convention defined Democratic values while RNC is primarily focused on who they hate.

Before we dive into a day-by-day breakdown of the RNC, let’s talk about the context through which it occurred.

Over the weekend, the day before the RNC convention was set to begin, Jacob Blake was shot by police. It’s clear that too many police officers see Black people as subhuman. Blake was clearly unarmed. He was not attacking anyone. And yet, he was shot in the back 7 times by an officer. He survived but is paralyzed.

Unfortunately, the same people who preach “innocent until proven guilty” in other debates are broaching Jacob Blake’s criminal record as if it justifies an extrajudicial shooting. If the police could take Dylann Roof into custody, they could’ve done the same for Jacob Blake who killed no one. But Kyle Rittenhouse did…

Kenosha Sheriff David Beth condemned militiamen and said that what happened this week is why you don’t deputize people. This is a message he should tell officers who handed 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse and his fellow militiamen water and later allowed Rittenhouse to flee after he killed two and injured another. Kenosha police didn’t just give Kyle Rittenhouse water before the shooting, they thanked him for his service.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson used his platform to justify Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder of 2 people by claiming with all the violence on our streets, it made sense that a 17-year-old kid would take up arms. This narrative took hold in conservative media, and by the time this article is published, President Trump also seemed to defend Rittenhouse’s actions as self-defense.

After piecing the clip together, it’s clear Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed the first person after being pursued and having a plastic bag thrown at him. Rittenhouse was then chased down by protestors who heard that he had shot someone. Kyle fell to the ground and then shot two more people, killing one and injuring another. After this, he walked right by police and fled. He was later arrested. As a 17-year-old, he was not legally able to own an AR-15 and also drove in from Illinois. Rittenhouse was part of a right-wing militia group and was seen at one of President Trump’s rallies in February. You tell me if this kid deserves praise.

RNC Day One

So, let’s dive into day one of the RNC. The fact the McCloskey couple who waved guns at Black Lives Matter protestors spoke on the first night, one day after Jacob Blake was shot, tells you everything you need to know about where the GOP stands. The McCloskey couple came through with one of the most depraved speeches of the convention, calling Black Lives Matter protestors Marxists and attacking affordable housing. What made their appearance even worse is that one day later Kyle Rittenhouse killed two people.

Before that couple spoke, Charlie Kirk called Trump the “bodyguard of Western civilization” and claimed Trump is protecting our families from the mob and vengeful activists. So much for the hopeful tone the RNC said they would have. Rep. Matt Gaetz also went on an absolutely unhinged tirade filled with fear-mongering disinformation.

There were white supremacist dog whistles in both remarks. Gaetz claimed the opposition wants to “replace” America. Kirk said Trump is a bodyguard of “Western civilization.” The white supremacist great replacement theory was subtly weaved those words.

On day one, there were also multiple propaganda videos on Trump’s COVID-19 response that tried to paint the Trump Admin’s response in a favorable light. It skipped months and didn’t mention that after the Chinese travel “ban,” which still let tens of thousands of people in, Trump called coronavirus fears a hoax and didn’t ramp up testing until late March.

We also saw a taste of what we’d end up seeing throughout the RNC: Black people disowning their community to support people who so clearly hate them. First up was Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones who is a Democrat turned Trump supporter. Then, there was Senator Tim Scott. Scott lied and said that Biden wants to cut taxes for blue state millionaires and raise taxes on the poor.

And then there was Kimberly Guilfoyle’s Disney villain speech. It became the most viral moment of day one of the RNC. I’m sure you’ve seen the clip by now, but she screamed into the microphone as loudly as she could.

Donald Trump Jr. was the main event of night one next to Tim Scott. Trump Jr. said that the other party is attacking what this country was founded upon and cites the rule of law. Wild projection from the son of a man who was impeached for trying to cheat in an election and then tried to do it again within months.

RNC Day Two

Ahead of day two of the RNC, Jacob Blake’s mother, Julia Jackson, gave a powerful speech. Jackson said no one is superior. She said as she prays for her son’s healing, she prays for the healing of this country. She said a house divided cannot stand:

“God has placed each and every one of us in this country because he wanted us to be here… How dare we hate what we are? We are humans… We are the United States, have we been united?”

Going from listening to Julia Jackson’s words and seeing the human toll of systemic racism to another hateful night of the RNC touting “law and order” was jarring. But before we saw that, there was a torrent of news about the speakers.

RNC speaker Mary Ann Mendoza shared an antisemitic QAnon conspiracy theory. Her speech was canceled. It was revealed RNC speaker Abby Johnson previously said cops are right to racially profile her brown son and that she doesn’t support a woman’s right to vote. She still spoke.

Senator Rand Paul was one of the first speakers of night two. Senator Paul said when he first met Trump he was struck by how down to earth he was. Here are a few quotes from Senator Paul in 2016:

“Trump is a delusional narcissist and an orange-faced windbag”

“I’m not sure I would say Trump is Hitler – Goebbels maybe”

“I have compared him to Gollum from Lord of the Rings.”

Throughout night two, there were some strange attacks on what the RNC called “environmental extremism.” People who exist in objective reality recognize the existential threat of climate change will be turned off by this. The GOP might as well give up on the youth vote for the next two decades.

How could we make it another night without hearing about Hunter Biden? Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi regurgitated her false claims about Hunter Biden and accused the Biden family of enriching themselves through their power. Bondi’s shameless projection here is just mind-blowing. Everyone who exists in objective reality knows that everything she said applies to President Trump and his family who have siphoned millions of taxpayer dollars into their properties and cut government deals with Trump associates.

Speaking of Trump’s family, Tiffany Trump, who has been low-key over the past 4 years, slides into 2020 revealing she’s just as amoral as everyone else in her family. Eric Trump stood there and tried to paint Democrats and kneeling athletes as unpatriotic while his father refuses to do anything about Russian bounties being put on American troops because he doesn’t want to deter Putin from helping him win re-election.

Then came Melania Trump’s speech, which was filled with hypocrisies. Melania said she didn’t want to attack the other side because the DNC proved it’s divisive. The entire RNC was one giant attack ad. Also, her talk of cyberbullying ignores the orange elephant in the Twittersphere. Pundits unfortunately gave her credit for simply acknowledging the pandemic’s existence. The bar is low enough already, no need to stomp that thing into the ground.

Politico praised Melania, saying her speech “restored a sense of normalcy.” Congrats to her speechwriters then? Some of the coverage of RNC night 2 was either dangerously naive or deliberating propagandized. Someone on CNN even called it a “perfect night.” Are we normalizing blatant lies? Hypocrisy? Dangerous fear-mongering?

For the most part, journalists have learned lessons from 2016. But every now and then, they dip back into their reflexive bag of false objectivity and attempt to treat this like it’s not an aspiring authoritarian regime. This kind of nonsense is exactly why we founded Rantt Media.

RNC Day Three

Day three was much like the others. It started off on the wrong foot. Rabbi Aryeh Spero came through with a problematic opening “prayer” alleging that people are exploiting social justice to attack the rights of others and that we need to protect our heritage. This played on white fear that when minorities get rights, they lose theirs.

Senator Marsha Blackburn used her RNC speech to talk about the heroes in law enforcement days after Jacob Blake was shot 7 times in the back. Rep. Elise Stefanik called Trump’s impeachment “illegal.” The Constitution replied, “lmao, that’s a lie.”

Sister Deirdre Bryne spoke as well and claimed that life begins at conception and that Biden-Harris supports infanticide. Both are false claims. GOP Candidate Madison Cawthorn, who showcased his Hitler fandom on Instagram, spoke at the RNC and incorrectly stated James Madison signed the Declaration of Independence.

Civil Rights activist Clarence Henderson highlighted the fact the Republican Party abolished slavery but ignored how in the 60s, when he protested, the Democrats passed civil rights measures. That is when the parties realigned and the GOP’s racist Southern Strategy began.

Then we had the main act of the night, Vice President Mike Pence. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Mike Pence may be more carefully crafted, but he’s just as dishonest and authoritarian-like as his boss. Mike Pence, who delivered his speech with the enthusiasm and passion of a Chuck E. Cheese animation, repeated his claim that “you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.” Are we safe now though?

Pence continued to make the claim that Democratic policies on policing are what’s causing the unrest when it’s actually the extrajudicial murder of Black people caused by systemic racism, which Pence says doesn’t exist. Pence also said the choice in this election is whether America remains America. That’s true, but not in the way he thinks.

RNC Day Four

Ahead of President Trump’s big night, Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris delivered both a rebuttal to Pence’s speech and a pre-buttal to Trump. Aside from calling for racial justice, Harris claimed that Trump’s incompetence isn’t new, but this year, it became deadly.

Kamala Harris went on to walk through the timeline of Trump’s failed coronavirus response. This is important. When Trump was still holding COVID-19 briefings and reporters highlighted his failures, that’s when his polling took the biggest hit. These points need to be hit repeatedly. It was a very effective speech crafting the context through which people would see that night’s address from Trump.

At the beginning of night four of the RNC, the RNC continued to present Black supporters. Ja’Ron Smith, Trump’s Deputy Assistant, said that he’s seen Trump’s empathy since George Floyd’s death in spite of the fact that Trump has spent the last two months calling BLM protestors thugs and terrorists.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel spoke at the RNC. It’s important to note that he’s sitting on hundreds of House Democratic bills, including the Heroes Act which Democrats passed in May and would address the pandemic, extend $600 weekly unemployment benefits, fund states, forgive $10k in student loans, and reinstate the federal eviction moratorium that Trump’s executive order did not do.

Senator Tom Cotton spoke and said America is safer now than it was 4 years ago while we’re in the middle of a pandemic where we’re averaging about 1k people dying a day. Cotton also said that Trump has stood up to China’s lies in spite of the fact Trump praised China in January while they were withholding info about the severity of coronavirus. Rudy Giuliani delivered a speech that was very out of touch with the moment and falsely equated BLM and Antifa.

Then came the big moment. In a White House Rose Garden filled with over 1,000 people and Trump-Pence banners, Ivanka Trump delivered remarks to introduce her father. Ivanka said the results of the Trump presidency speak for themselves. Do they really think Americans are going to ignore the ravaged economy and 180k dead Americans?

While Ivanka Trump stood there and pretended to be a person with integrity, it’s important to remember that the Lafayette Square assault on peaceful protestors, one of Trump’s most depraved authoritarian acts as president, was reportedly her idea. The only difference between Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump is that Ivanka is disciplined enough to hide her indecency whereas Trump can’t.

Now, we go to the night everyone was waiting for. President Trump used his speech to essentially summarize what we heard over the course of the RNC. Trump opened it up with some hypocrisies. Trump talked about Lincoln’s triumph in the Civil War as if he hasn’t spent his entire presidency defending the Confederacy. Trump said the Democratic Party cannot lead our country when they spend their time tearing down our country. As a 2016 candidate, Trump attacked America as a disaster, and as President, he’s talked down on America and former Presidents.

President Trump praised his coronavirus response as if there aren’t 180k dead Americans and he didn’t botch every single step of this. Trump said that Biden’s plan is a surrender to the virus while Trump himself has literally tried to slow testing and let this disease run rampant. Trump’s non-response has been an absolute surrender to this virus and it’s why we’re worse off than every developed country on Earth.

There was really nothing remarkable about this Trump speech. If you’ve seen any Trump coronavirus briefing, you’ve already pretty much seen this speech. It had all his usual lies we’ve fact-checked hundreds of times. The same depraved fear-mongering. The same false rosy depiction of his administration. Aside from the corrupt atmosphere of having this at the White House, the lack of masks, his usual fear-mongering, lies, etc, it was just an objectively terribly written, overlong, low energy speech. There is no innovation in their campaign strategy. What we’re seeing is a President down by wide margins in polls and instead of shifting his strategy, he’s doubling down.

At the DNC, Biden delivered the best speech of his career. At the RNC, Trump delivered one of his most blasé. Fox News agreed, with Chris Wallace calling it “flat” and Brit Hume agreeing that the speech was “very long.” Not only was Biden’s speech significantly better and more widely praised, his speech had higher ratings than Trump’s. The DNC schlacked the RNC.

Perhaps one doesn’t even need to watch the 2020 DNC or RNC to get see the best case against President Trump. In his 2016 RNC speech, Donald Trump unwittingly condemned his future presidency that would fail to protect the lives of 180k Americans and counting. Trump asserted:

“The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens. Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead.”

Listen to 2016 Trump and vote for Biden in 2020.

Let’s dive into another Unpresidented week.

Jacob Blake’s Killing, Eric Trump, And Day One Of The RNC

Day 1,313: Monday, August 24

Apparently Kimberly Guilfoyle’s speech was taped…

The fact the RNC proudly let this one out shows how delusional they are.#RNCConvention2020pic.twitter.com/tbCMJiAKsz

— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) August 25, 2020

Monday’s top stories:

• CBS News: Police in Wisconsin shoot Black man in back multiple times, sparking protests
• Reuters: Wisconsin deploys National Guard as police shooting of Jacob Blake sparks unrest
• The New York Times: N.Y. Attorney General Asks Judge to Order Eric Trump’s Testimony
• The Washington Post: Republican convention speakers share dark vision of Democrats and praise Trump’s character
• CNN: Fact check: First night of the Republican National Convention features more dishonesty than four nights of DNC
• Business Insider: Republicans will not adopt a new platform at this week’s convention and will instead pledge to ‘enthusiastically’ support Trump
• CNN: Kellyanne Conway announces she’s leaving the White House and George Conway is stepping away from Lincoln Project
• The Washington Post: Trump touts FDA’s emergency authorization of convalescent plasma as historic breakthrough, but scientists are doubtful
• CNN: Trump, without evidence, accuses FDA of delaying coronavirus vaccine trials and pressures agency chief
• Vox: Rep. Katie Porter quizzed the postmaster general about the mail. He didn’t do great.
• Vox: “12 more years!” Trump’s opening speech got the 2020 RNC off to a dark start
• The Hill: Pompeo draws criticism for convention speech from Jerusalem
• The Daily Beast: Judge Slaps Back DeSantis Admin’s School Reopening Order
• The Washington Post: Debt, eviction and hunger: Millions fall back into crisis as stimulus and safety nets vanish
• Axios: Scoop: UAE cancels Israel meeting after Netanyahu opposes F-35 arms deal
• NPR: Louisiana Braces For ‘One-Two Punch’ Of Storms As Marco And Laura Approach Shore
• Reuters: Merkel calls on Russia to hold perpetrators accountable in Navalny case
• NBC News: Twitter slaps warning label on Trump tweet for violating ‘election integrity’ rules
• Rantt Media: GOP Lawmaker’s Celebration Of KKK Leader Forces Racial Reckoning In Alabama

Jacob Blake’s Family Speaks Out, And Day Two Of The RNC

Day 1,314: Tuesday, August 25

Julia Jackson, Jacob Blake’s mother, has a message for America:

“God has placed each and every one of us in this country because he wanted us to be here… How dare we hate what we are? We are humans… We are the United States, have we been united?”pic.twitter.com/kDYX5f4Frx

— Rantt Media (@RanttMedia) August 25, 2020

Tuesday’s top stories:

• The Guardian: ‘I don’t want pity. I want change’: Jacob Blake’s family pleads for justice
• CBS News: Jacob Blake paralyzed after he was shot by Wisconsin police, family attorney says
• CNN: Kenosha becomes center of nationwide protests after police shoot Black man in front of his children
• CNN: Fact Check: Second night of RNC riddled with dishonesty as Melania Trump appeals for ‘total honesty’
• CNN: Melania Trump Rose Garden speech attendees not all required to get coronavirus tests
• HuffPost: Trump’s White House Convention May Be Coercing Staffers Into Violating The Hatch Act
• Business Insider: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a series of false claims about Trump’s foreign policy in controversial RNC speech
• NBC News: Diplomats aghast as Pompeo set to address RNC from Jerusalem
• Wall Street Journal: Jerry Falwell Jr. Says He Has Resigned as Liberty University President
• Reuters: Exclusive: FDA commissioner disputes Trump, says no ‘deep state’ thwarting vaccine
• The Daily Beast: FDA’s Stephen Hahn Admits He Overstated Benefit of Convalescent Plasma on COVID-19 Patients
• CNN: Fauci warns against premature authorization of coronavirus vaccine
• NBC News: College campuses face explosion of COVID-19 cases
• CNN: House Democrat opens investigation into Pompeo’s RNC speech
• CNN: While nationwide surge may be slowing, officials warn of troubling Covid-19 signs across US heartland
• The Daily Beast: RNC Speaker Boosts QAnon Conspiracy Theory About Jewish Plot to Enslave the World
• VICE: An RNC Speaker Said Cops Would Be ‘Smart’ to Racially Profile Her Own Son
• The New York Times: G.O.P. TV Ratings Fall Below Democrats, Despite Fox News’s Big Night
• USA TODAY: Kevin Hart, Tracee Ellis Ross, more stars show support for Jacob Blake after police shooting
• Politico: Former Trump DHS officials launch anti-Trump group
• Reuters: South Korea closes most schools in Seoul area to battle resurgent coronavirus

The Kenosha Killer And Mike Pence’s Dud Speech

Day 1,315: Wednesday, August 26

Wednesday’s top stories:

• NBC News: 2 dead, 1 injured, in Kenosha protests over shooting of Jacob Blake
• Vox: 17-year-old charged with murder in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shootings
• BuzzFeed News: The Kenosha Shooting Suspect Was In The Front Row Of A Trump Rally In January
• CNN: Egregious false claims and careless inaccuracies: fact-checking the third night of the RNC
• CNN: Massive storm and protests by sports stars threaten to overshadow Mike Pence’s night at RNC
• CNN: Pence reinvents Trump’s presidency on a disorienting night of crises
• The Verge: Facebook chose not to act on militia complaints before Kenosha shooting
• The Washington Post: Live updates: CDC says not all close contacts need to get tested after coronavirus exposure, alarming experts
• CNN: CDC was pressured ‘from the top down’ to change coronavirus testing guidance, official says
• The Daily Beast: Fauci Says He Was Under Anesthesia When CDC Changed COVID-19 Testing Guidelines
• The Washington Post: Sports come to a halt: NBA, WNBA, MLB, MLS postpone games as players protest Jacob Blake shooting
• Politico: U.S. service members injured in Syria after skirmish with Russian forces
• The Wall Street Journal: Immigrants in Trump-Led Ceremony Didn’t Know They Would Appear at RNC
• Business Insider: Trump’s campaign paid $2.3 million in donor money to his private business, filings show
• The Hill: Florida confirmed 9K new COVID-19 cases among children within 15 days as schools reopen
• Bloomberg: Why a Historic Eviction Wave Is Bearing Down on U.S.
• Rantt Media: The Real Melania Trump

Trump’s “Flat” And Disinformation Filled Speech With A Corrupt Backdrop

Day 1,316: Thursday, August 27

Thursday’s top stories:

• CNN: Fact check: Trump makes more than 20 false or misleading claims in accepting presidential nomination
• Vox: Trump’s RNC speech used the White House as a political prop
• HuffPost: Tapper: Trump’s Mask-Free White House Speech A Potential ‘Super-Spreader Event’
• The Daily Beast: Fox News Hosts Trash Trump’s ‘Flat’ RNC Speech: It Was ‘Far Too Long’
• Axios: Biden hits back at Pence over RNC speech: The violence is in “Trump’s America”
• NBC News: Kamala Harris, citing ‘sickening’ Blake shooting, pledges to tackle police reform
• The Guardian: ‘We’ve all had enough’: Kenosha in anguish over Jacob Blake shooting
• CNN: Jacob Blake is handcuffed to his hospital bed, family says
• CNN: New coronavirus cases are down nationwide. But the US is still averaging more than 900 deaths a day
• The Washington Post: Room rentals, resort fees and furniture removal: How Trump’s company charged the U.S. government more than $900,000
• CNN: Hurricane Laura batters the Louisiana coastline with an intensity the region has not seen in over a century
• NBC News: Dramatic drone video shows devastation in Louisiana in wake of Hurricane Laura
• NBC News: Fauci says he ‘has some concern’ about change in COVID-19 testing guidelines
• The Hill: CDC director clarifies change in coronavirus testing guidelines after backlash
• The Washington Post: Tucker Carlson suggests teen charged with killing Kenosha protesters had to ‘maintain order when no one else would’
• The Daily Beast: Fox News ‘Assumed’ Pence Crowd Was COVID Tested. Nope!
• BuzzFeed News: RNC Video Showing Rioters In “Biden’s America” Is Actually Spain
• The Daily Beast: U.S. Intelligence Officials: There’s Absolutely No Evidence of Foreign Meddling in Mail-In Ballots
• CNN: White House says it is creating ‘very large’ dossier on Washington Post journalist and others
• Forbes: Over 100 John McCain Staffers Endorse Biden In Rebuke Of Trump
• Rolling Stone: Trump Looted $44 Billion FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund in the Middle of a Record-Setting Hurricane Season
• The Guardian: Christchurch shooting: mosque gunman sentenced to life without parole
• CNN: Judge gives Trump administration 10 days to answer questions about USPS slowdowns
• ABC News: Unprecedented wave of GOP defections as Trump re-nominated: ANALYSIS
• The Daily Beast: Jacob Wohl Accused of Starting a Voter Suppression Scheme
• BuzzFeed News: China Secretly Built A Vast New Infrastructure To Imprison Muslims
• CNN: Navy veteran at center of viral Portland protest video sues Trump administration
• Rantt Media: How To Vote In 13 States With The Strictest Vote By Mail Laws

March On Washington

Day 1,317: Friday, August 28

This is how many people showed up to the #MarchOnWashington today. pic.twitter.com/l0qPtWn25Y

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 28, 2020

Friday’s top stories:

• USA TODAY: ‘This dream is still alive’: Thousands rally for racial justice at March on Washington
• CNN: NBA, players say games will resume on Saturday and arenas can be used for voting
• Charlotte Observer: 4 people at RNC in Charlotte test positive for COVID, as GOP defends safety measures
• Los Angeles Times: President Trump’s acceptance speech draws 23.8 million TV viewers, trailing the audience for Biden
• NBC News: Postal workers paint grim pictures of backlogged mail, empty delivery trucks
• The New York Times: N.Y.C. Tenants Say They Were Tricked Into Appearing in R.N.C. Video
• CNN: Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigns for health reasons
• CBS News: Protesters confront Rand Paul outside White House after Republican convention
• CNN: Jacob Blake is no longer shackled to his hospital bed, attorney says
• NPR: Hurricane Laura Losses Include 10 Deaths, Up To $12 Billion
• Politico: FDA head fires aide in clash over White House virus treatment claims
• CNN: No widespread fraud in mail-heavy primaries in Michigan and Kentucky, officials say
• USA TODAY: Chaos reigns in some schools with in-person learning. Many kids are learning at home.
• Bloomberg: Covid Gag Rules at U.S. Companies Are Putting Everyone at Risk
• NBC News: Biden camp: Over 3,500 Americans died from COVID during GOP convention
• South China Morning Post: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam admits to being caught out by protests: ‘I’m an administrator that doesn’t understand politics’