Trump news – live: Outrage over president's George Floyd comments as he says coronavirus 'gift from China'
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Outrage quickly followed Donald Trump's comments on George Floyd during a press conference to announce 2.5m new jobs to the US economy in May, saying that he would be "looking down right now" on a great thing happening for our country.
After Trump's on-going feud with former employees, ex-chief-of-staff John Kelly fired back to support Jim Mattis and say the president would either fire or push people so hard they would resign. Hundreds of former diplomatic and military officials, meanwhile, signed a letter denouncing the show of force by soldiers on civilian protesters.
At the end of a chaotic week, Trump travelled to Maine to undo Obama-era conservation orders and allow fishing again off the coast of New England.
Coronavirus, meanwhile, is still happening, with the World Health Organisation revising its guidance on face-masks and the CDC projecting more than 127,000 deaths by 27 June.
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It ain't easy being Breesy
Trump today defended New Orleans QB Drew Brees, saying he shouldn't have apologized for his take on players kneeling during the national anthem.
The saint of the Saint's 2010 Superbowl championship lost a little bit of his halo when telling a Yahoo Finance interview that anyone kneeling was "disrespecting the flag".
"I envision my two grandfathers, who fought for this country during World War II, one in the Army and one in the Marine Corp. Both risking their lives to protect our country and to try to make our country and this world a better place," Brees said.
He later bent the knee and apologized for his "insensitive" comments that completely missed the mark.
Trump, however, said Brees should have called an audible.
"NO KNEELING!"
The White House's musical chairs
If you needed any further evidence that the coronavirus lockdowns are over in practice, if not in policy, look no further than today's White House press conference that continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.
A lot came out of the Rose Garden briefing this morning so it was easy to overlook the seats for reporters that were no longer distanced 6 feet apart to minimize the spread of coronavirus.
"I noticed you're starting to get much closer together," Trump said. "Looks much better, I must say."
White House spokesman Judd Deere told The Associated Press it was for optics, not for a messaging opportunity.
"It looks better," he said. "I would remind you that those in the (press) pool are tested, everyone is temperature-checked and asked if they have had symptoms."
White House Correspondents' Association president Jonathan Karl said the move put reporters' health at risk, and CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen said on air it was "outrageous".
Those chairs should have been much farther apart for safety.
Meanwhile, reporters covering protests across the country over the past week appear to be fine. Don't seem to be any issues there being harmed by police or rioters.
Trump wraps chaotic week by courting Maine voters at coronavirus swab factory event
The Independent's John T Bennett takes a look at the chaotic week that began with rubber bullets and a photo-op and ended with a bizzaro press conference and a jaunt to Maine.
There were job growth numbers, the repeal of an Obama executive order on marine parks, production of coronavirus swabs, low-flying helicopters, and battles with his current and former staffers like Esper and Mattis.
All the while protesters protested and rioters rioted across the country following the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Take a deep dive into the abyss of news in the week that was.
Trump: NO KNEELING! Trudeau: Takes a knee
Yes, Trump was talking about a different kneeling so this is an apples and oranges comparison.
But the timing of Canadian PM Trudeau kneeling during a protest march, while Trump was tweeting NO KNEELING during the national anthem, is too coincidental not to acknowledge.
What are we looking at?
It's late on a Friday and this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week is almost over, but can anyone make heads or tails of what The White House is tweeting out right now?
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