Trump Administration

Politico reports: The famous offices located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue are grappling with the same calculation as every other workplace facing the coronavirus: whether to close the doors and work remotely. The White House is unlike any other office, and a decision to transform it into a remote operation could ripple across governments at the federal, state and national levels …

UPDATE. White House has cancelled the coronavirus task force briefing at 5:30pm, and the president will no longer go to the Naval Observatory for dinner with the Pences. His Oval Office address on economic and health steps to mitigate the crisis will be at 9pm. — Justin Sink (@justinsink) March 11, 2020 UPI reports: Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled …

The Washington Post reports: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the Trump administration may continue its “Remain in Mexico” policy for asylum seekers while lower-court challenges continue, after the federal government warned that tens of thousands of immigrants massed at the southern border could overwhelm the immigration system. The justices reversed a decision of a panel of the U.S. Court …

Reuters reports: The White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level coronavirus meetings as classified, an unusual step that has restricted information and hampered the U.S. government’s response to the contagion, according to four Trump administration officials. The officials said that dozens of classified discussions about such topics as the scope of infections, quarantines and travel restrictions have …

Politico reports: Vice President Pence said Tuesday that a group of major health insurance companies have agreed not to charge patients copays when they get tested for coronavirus. Pence made the comments at a meeting at the White House with the CEOs of major health insurance companies aimed at encouraging people to get tested by removing cost barriers. Some insurance …

Bloomberg News reports: Donald Trump told Republican senators on Tuesday that he wants a payroll tax holiday through the November election so that taxes don’t go back up before voters decide whether to return him to office, according to three people familiar with the president’s remarks. Trump spoke to the Republicans at their weekly conference lunch at the Capitol as …

CNN reports: The House of Representatives has won access to secret grand jury material gathered in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and cited in the Mueller report, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday. The appeals panel sided with the chief judge of the DC District Court, who had roundly criticized the Justice Department’s legal theories to …

The Daily Beast reports: Asked by co-host Ainsley Earhardt if Trump would continue to hold campaign rallies during the coronavirus outbreak despite warnings about older Americans avoiding crowds, Grishan said, “Yes, he plans on still holding rallies.” “And I’ll tell you what, with our president, this man who doesn’t sleep and who I have seen work 15, 16 hours a …

The Daily Beast reports: During his appearance on ABC’s This Week, Ben Carson was asked by anchor George Stephanopoulos what plan was in place for the ship when it docked as 21 passengers, 19 of which are crew members, have already tested positive for the virus. “The cruise ship personnel and, as you know, the vice president met with the …

The Associated Press reports: The White House overruled health officials who wanted to recommend that elderly and physically fragile Americans be advised not to fly on commercial airlines because of the new coronavirus, a federal official told The Associated Press. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention submitted the plan this week as a way of trying to control the …

The Associated Press reports: Melania Trump pushed back Saturday after photos she tweeted of herself overseeing a White House construction project generated an online backlash. On Thursday, the first lady tweeted a series of pics, including two of herself wearing a hard hat while reviewing blueprints for the construction of a tennis pavilion on the south grounds. Critics lashed out, …

The New York Times reports: Erik Prince, the security contractor with close ties to the Trump administration, has in recent years helped recruit former American and British spies for secretive intelligence-gathering operations that included infiltrating Democratic congressional campaigns, labor organizations and other groups considered hostile to the Trump agenda, according to interviews and documents. One of the former spies, an …

The Hill reports: Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar maintained late Friday that the administration is not in the midst of a coronavirus testing kit shortage, contradicting a warning issued by Vice President Pence earlier this week. “There is no testing kit shortage, nor has there ever been,” Azar said on ABC News . “We will have by the …

The Daily Beast reports: President Trump named Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) as chief of staff on Friday evening. “I am pleased to announce that Congressman Mark Meadows will become White House Chief of Staff,” Trump wrote in a tweet. “I have long known and worked with Mark, and the relationship is a very good one.” He also said that ousted …

CBS News reports: Members of the Coronavirus Task Force, charged with leading the U.S. response to the global coronavirus outbreak, are scheduled to hold a press briefing at the White House Friday evening. At least 98,000 people in almost 90 countries have caught the COVID-19 disease, which is caused by the novel coronavirus. It has killed almost 3,300 people, and …

NBC News reports: The U.S. government has collected persuasive intelligence that the Taliban do not intend to honor the promises they have made in the recently signed deal with the United States, three American officials tell NBC News, undercutting what has been days of hopeful talk by President Donald Trump and his top aides. “They have no intention of abiding …

CNN reports: “We may go. They thought there was a problem at CDC, somebody that had the virus,” Trump said.  Trump added that the person in question at the CDC has tested negative for the virus. “They’ve tested the person very fully and it was a negative test,” Trump said. “I may be going. They’re going to see if they …

Politico reports: Adam Kennedy, who led the White House’s rapid response efforts on impeachment and other crises, including Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation battle, is leaving the government later this month, according to two White House officials. Kennedy will be replaced by Julia Hahn, a former Breitbart writer who is currently director of rapid response and surrogate operations for the White House, …

CNN reports: A federal judge Thursday criticized Attorney General William Barr for his handling of the Mueller report when it was released last spring, saying Barr’s early description of the report didn’t match the special counsel’s actual conclusions. Judge Reggie Walton asked if Barr’s actions were a “calculated attempt” to help President Donald Trump and opined the attorney general had …

Via press release from Sec. Mike Pompeo: The State Department continues to support President Trump’s strong leadership and whole-of-government approach to protect Americans. There’s no higher duty for us. I’m sure you’ve all seen the President’s briefings and updates from CDC and HHS, and the good news that Deborah Birx from our team here at the State Department is now …