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14 Jan, 4 tweets, 3 min read
Before the election, Trump promised “incredible” $200 cards for seniors to buy drugs.

“Joe Biden won't be doing this,” Trump claimed.

But officials are now conceding: the cards aren’t going to happen. politico.com/news/2021/01/1…
As drug card questions grew, officials repeatedly claimed the $7.9 billion plan was on track, quoting ambitious timelines to reporters.

The reality: numerous legal and logistical issues still aren’t resolved, with Inauguration Day less than a week away. ImageImage
Medicare chief Seema Verma — who oversees the relevant programs and funds — acknowledged that reality in a @leonardkl scoop today.
Among the issues that sunk the drug cards

— officials tied up with other projects or have left

— participating bank wants $1 billion-plus indemnification in case of lawsuit

— that if Trump finalizes cards now, Biden’s name could be on the announcement

politico.com/news/2021/01/1… ImageImage

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More from @ddiamond

Dan Diamond Profile picture
16 Jan
Reports that Azar resigned effective today are incorrect, multiple people w knowledge of his thinking tell me. Health secretary is staying til Jan 20.
In his Jan. 12 resignation letter, first obtained by @noahweiland, Azar made clear he would stay until the end of administration. Image
Am also seeing questions “why submit a resignation letter but stay til the last day?”

This is a routine practice of all outgoing administrations, considered part of good governance. politico.com/news/2021/01/0…
Read 4 tweets
Dan Diamond Profile picture
17 Dec 20
I’ve written often on the mismanaged response to COVID-19.

But for this story, I tried to get out of DC and show the collateral damage: how COVID surprised and then devastated a community of Pacific Islanders across the United States.

politico.com/news/magazine/…

(Thread.)
1. The story focuses on people from the Marshall Islands, who I’ve tracked for the past year.

The US used their homeland to test dozens of nuclear bombs; as the islanders resettled in places like Iowa and Arkansas, they were promised Medicaid before Congress yanked it away.
2. You might think you don’t know the Marshallese or their story. But you’ve probably seen footage of their struggles without realizing it.

Here’s video of the Castle Bravo nuclear test in 1954 — which exposed islanders to fallout — and was recycled for movies like Godzilla.
Read 12 tweets
Dan Diamond Profile picture
16 Dec 20
“We want them infected.”

Trump appointee repeatedly urged top health officials to let millions of Americans contract Covid-19. His plan? “Herd immunity,” per a @COVIDOversight probe.

EXCLUSIVE: politico.com/news/2020/12/1…
“Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk….so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected,” Trump appointee PAUL ALEXANDER wrote to health officials in July, one of multiple emails listing demands.
Alexander sent his demands to officials like CDC Director Robert Redfield, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and his boss Michael Caputo — for months.

Alexander was only pushed out of government in September after POLITICO detailed his efforts to muzzle Fauci and edit CDC’s reports.
Read 4 tweets
Dan Diamond Profile picture
10 Dec 20
BREAKING: Robert Redfield told staff to delete an email where Trump appointee attempted to assert control over CDC’s scientific reports, CDC official told Congress this week.
More on what the editor of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports told House investigators this week: politico.com/news/2020/12/1…
A CDC official said staff were instructed to delete an email where a Trump appointee attempted to take control of the agency’s scientific reports.

POLITICO got the email. Read it for yourself. politico.com/f/?id=00000176…
Read 4 tweets
Dan Diamond Profile picture
29 Oct 20
EXCLUSIVE: the Trump appointee steering the $300M ad campaign to “defeat despair” about coronavirus privately pitched a different theme — “Helping the President will Help the Country.” politico.com/news/2020/10/2…
The documents, obtained by @OversightDems, confirm POLITICO reporting about taxpayer-funded campaign + offer new details about efforts to rush ads pre-Election Day.

Also: team developed tracker of how celebrities voted before asking them to participate in Covid PSAs.
The team evaluated 274-plus celebrities - from Trump supporters like @scottbaio to critics @juddapatow @chrissyteigen - on if they’d supported Trump, gun control, gay rights.

Only 10 were approved.

See the list and the internal “notes” on each celebrity: politico.com/f/?id=00000175…
Read 4 tweets
Dan Diamond Profile picture
8 Oct 20
EXCLUSIVE: Officials are racing to finalize Trump’s promised “drug-discount cards” before Election Day.

Taxpayer-funded plan could include letters from Trump to 39 million Medicare patients *next week*, touting effort to lower their drug prices. politico.com/news/2020/10/0…
Civil servants have raised concerns that the drug cards are a political gimmick to boost Trump ahead of the election — especially as his polling plunges with seniors. politico.com/news/2020/10/0…
We’ve updated the story with the draft plan circulating in the White House.

politico.com/f/?id=00000175…

Estimated $7.9 billion plan, paid for by tapping the Medicare trust fund, would include spending $19 million to send letters to seniors next week.
Read 4 tweets

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