Thread by @HoarseWisperer

Trump delivering a briefing. No Dr. Fauci in sight. William Barr waiting behind him.

This is already setting up to be a cavalcade of asshats.

1/

Trump opens by stiffly reading from notes about how the racist mistreatment of Asian-Americans - which he independently fomented - is bad and shouldn’t happen.

If I shake my head any harder, it will roll clear off.

2/

Orangapotus now hinting at moving to relax social distancing requirements shortly despite the obvious sheer stupidity of doing any such thing.

(See earlier thread about Trump’s narcissism)

3/

My dogs just commenced indiscriminately barking.

So, I missed several minutes of this bloviating toolbox’s monotonous drivel.

That’s fine. Bark, dogs, bark.

4/

Babyfingers now relating the unverified story of an alleged patient who allegedly was helped by the same medication that just put an Arizona couple in the hospital and killed one of them.

This is snake oil salesmanship but from a lectern rather than a horse drawn carriage.

If you read my earlier thread, the sheer insanity of Trump repeatedly whippping up fervor over an untested therapy probably seems less unbelievable.

Trump will do anything and tell any lie to merely delay being seen as incompetent and powerless.

No idea why AG Barr is there.

Knowing him, there must be some profound and open assault on fundamental norms of criminal justice on the way.

I should have a beer for this. I am out of beer. The world is full of sadness.

Today’s remarks have been largely scripted so far.

Other than when Trumpty Dumpty went off script about miracle cures, it has been lowkey and sedate.

Uhoh, here comes Barr. Brace yourselves.

Barr opens by talking about “keeping enforcement efforts at full throttle.”

Barr pivoting to talking about combating hoarding and price gouging.

Barr outlining the legal authority allowing the DOJ to go after hoarders of critical goods like ventilators.

The unsaid here is that Barr is alleging he will use authority vested by the Defense Production Act to go after predatory hoarders...

...which is only required because Trump has not used the main authority of the DPA to command production of those supplies in the first place.

For real, going after downstream price-gouging when you could have controlled upstream production is just bullshit.

It won’t be timely. It won’t be effective. It won’t solve the problem.

It’s a cop out to give air cover for Trump’s impotent refusal to own the supply problem.

Dr. Annoysme is up now.

I find her to be quite tedious and untrustworthy.

She is there instead of Fauci for exactly that reason.

She burbles up anodyne facts and patter about the virus designed to not upset the man looming over her shoulder.

Useless.

Next up, Mike Pence.

This greasy asshat is so oleaginous, he slips through these empty speeches like goose shit through a tin horn.

He is so profoundly sycophantic and cloying, it makes me feel like I need a shower.

Pence now updating yesterday’s lies with fresh new lies about test availability and volumes.

I can barely listen to this guy. Even his smug, smarmy voice makes me want to break a goddamn window.

Pence is and has always been a sociopathically morally vacant shitbag.

I’m sorry. I had to mute Pence.

I detest him with the infernal heat of a white dwarf star... or maybe it’s a red giant star.

Whatever. My hatred for him burns at 2 million degrees Kelvin. Which is quite hot.

Pence wraps up.

Up comes a military officer to explain supply chain issues.

Ari Melber cuts in and MSNBC pivots away from the briefing.

Says they’ll cut back for the Q&A.

So, that’s progress. Next time skip the whole thing live, @msnbc.

I’m going to leave this here.

If you missed the press briefing, you missed nothing other than the elephant not in the room:

Dr. Fauci.

Trump is pivoting toward ignoring the experts... as I knew he would.

He is incapable of doing otherwise.

Anywho, that was painful.

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