Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt stopped short once again of imposing a statewide mask mandate Monday, becoming the latest governor to put in place new restrictions—but not the one that experts say is crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19. The governors of Iowa, Nebraska, and Idaho also have held press conferences in recent weeks to announce new measures in response to ever-higher coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations. But they have all declined to implement a blanket statewide mask mandate—an issue that has become pointlessly politicized. Stitt, a Republican, has resisted requiring masks statewide for months, even after the Trump White House’s […]
Hunter Woodall
30 posts
Dr. Ervin Yen is angry about Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s approach to the coronavirus pandemic, so angry that he thinks Stitt should lose his job. And Yen intends to be the one to try and take it. While Republicans in other states have criticized governors for taking too much action during the public health crisis, Yen, a 65-year-old anesthesiologist and former state senator, is going in the opposite direction. He’s alarmed that his home state’s leader hasn’t done more as the coronavirus continues to ravage their state, and is mounting a campaign for governor to challenge Stitt in the 2022 GOP […]
Thom Tillis is headed back to the Senate after a hard-fought race during which he tested positive for COVID-19 after he flouted mask guidelines in the final weeks of the campaign—at the same time his Democratic opponent’s upstart run was marred by an extramarital sexting scandal. Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham called Tillis to concede on Tuesday and issued a statement to say, “The voters have spoken and I respect their decision.” “While the results of this election suggest there remain deep political divisions in our state and nation, the more complete story of our country lies in what unites us: […]
Republicans are at each other’s throats in Georgia, where the Secretary of State brushed back attacks from his state’s two U.S. senators after his handling of last week’s election. “As a Republican, I am concerned about Republicans keeping the U.S. Senate,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement Monday afternoon. “I recommend that Senators Loeffler and Perdue start focusing on that.” The sparring between the three Republicans comes not only as president-elect Joe Biden appeared to eke out in the Peach State, but also as Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue failed to win the majority of the votes […]
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is headed back to the U.S. Senate after fending off a determined effort by Democrat Theresa Greenfield in a race that will play a major role in deciding which party will control the Senate come January. Iowa wasn’t seen as being among the easiest seats for Democrats to flip in 2020, but that changed as the cycle moved on and Greenfield found herself being able to capitalize off strong fundraising as Trump’s polling in the state dipped amid the coronavirus pandemic. Despite being out-fundraised and out-spent by her Democratic opponent, Ernst was able to hang on to […]
The day before the 2016 election, Gordon Hintz remembers feeling insecure when it came to Hillary Clinton’s chances at winning Wisconsin. Even around August of that year, Hintz, then a state representative who is now the Democratic minority leader in the Wisconsin Assembly, said he had been worried that Donald Trump was going to win Wisconsin and the presidency as well. He remembers knocking on doors and finding “gender bias, Clinton fatigue and a rawness in the electorate that Trump was exploiting.” And as Wisconsin prepares again to be a closely watched swing state on election night, Hintz is among the […]
Come Sunday night, amid a flurry of events to close out the campaign, President Donald Trump will find himself in Rome, Georgia as he plays defense to try and keep from losing a state that hasn’t gone for a Democrat in the presidential race since 1992. And that Trump has to spend crucial final minutes of the campaign in what was once seen as reliably red Georgia wasn’t lost on some Republicans elsewhere in the state like Larry Odum, the chairman of the Appling County Republicans who told The Daily Beast “it does concern me that he is having to come […]
Wisconsin is facing one of the worst coronavirus situations in the country, but that wasn’t an issue President Donald Trump devoted time to while visiting the state just days before it will help decide his political fate. Instead, he raved about the size of the crowd at his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin and vented about a recent ABC News/ Washington Post poll that showed him trailing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden by 17 points in the state, far worse than other polls that show a more narrow race. Before the event was over he had attacked Biden for talking so […]
President Donald Trump came to Omaha Tuesday night hoping to boost his chances of winning the area’s competitive electoral college vote. But he left a logistical mess in his wake at Eppley Airfield as scores of people were left trying to get back to their vehicles via buses from the large scale event in the midst of a raging pandemic. Trump’s rallies during the pandemic have already worried health experts because, even when they’re outdoors, the large events feature little in the way of social distancing and subpar mask wearing from the audience. But the logistical issues in Omaha likely only […]
After a summer surge that devastated the state’s plans to cut back on restrictions, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has tried to put his state back on the reopening track. In late August, he hinted at new reopening plans being on the way before rolling out an executive order in September that boosted the capacity allowed in places like restaurants and shops. And last week Abbott took action on bars in the state, which he had ordered closed back in late June amid the surge, saying the venues could soon reopen at as high as 50 percent capacity in most places if […]
There’s plenty of reasons to worry in Wisconsin these days. While the crucial swing state maintains its standing as a national hotspot for the coronavirus and spiking cases and hospitalizations have alarmed health experts and local officials, Republicans there are continuing to attack Democratic Gov. Tony Evers over the emergency authority he’s relying on to try and combat the virus. “I don’t care if (the governor’s) actions are warranted or not warranted, he is illegally acting,” said state Sen. Chris Kapenga, a Republican who opposes the governor’s mask order and is upset the governor isn’t working with the legislature when Kapenga […]
President Donald Trump on Wednesday blatantly refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power following November’s general election. “We’re going to have to see what happens, you know that I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster,” Trump said when pressed by a reporter to commit to ensuring a peaceful transfer of power. As the same reporter further pressed the president, Trump said, “We want to … get rid of the ballots and we’ll have a very peaceful, there won’t be a transfer, frankly, there’ll be a continuation.” “The ballots are out of control, […]
After a hellish summer, when Florida became a major hot spot for COVID-19, Governor Ron DeSantis has decided it’s time for everyone to grab a beer. And experts are already worried what the public health fallout could be. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced in a statement Thursday that “at the direction” of the Republican governor an earlier order that had cut off bars from selling alcohol to be consumed on site was being thrown out, and instead, a new order will be in place that by Monday lets bars “operate at 50 percent of the facility’s indoor […]
President Donald Trump admitted to the American public Wednesday that he had indeed downplayed the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, conceding that he didn’t “want people to be frightened.” “I don’t want to create panic as you say, and certainly I’m not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy,” Trump told a reporter after giving remarks on possible Supreme Court appointments when asked if he did so “to reduce panic.” Trump’s comments came just hours after CNN published experts and audio from famed journalist Bob Woodward’s upcoming book that showed the president admitting to Woodward that he […]
Dan Forest stood on stage presiding in front of the crowd that had come to see Donald Trump in North Carolina Tuesday, a potential public health nightmare of not enough masks and too many people, and declared: “This looks like freedom.” But before he could even start rattling off all the things he’d do as governor to people who weren’t there to hear him speak, the state’s Republican lieutenant governor chose to indulge once again in a baseless, strange, and shocking idea about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s future. “We all know that Sleepy Joe’s not gonna make it. Not very long […]
President Donald Trump responded on Friday to reports that he denigrated the military—by refusing to take back his smear of the late Sen. John McCain’s military service and trashing his former chief of staff, retired Marine Corps general John Kelly. The president trained his fury on a bombshell story in The Atlantic Thursday night that claimed Trump skipped a visit to the hallowed World War I Aisne-Marne American Cemetery because, in his words, “it’s filled with losers.” According to the magazine’s sourcing, Trump made several disturbing comments about fallen members of the nation’s armed forces. Following The Atlantic’s story, The Associated […]
President Donald Trump jumped to the defense Monday of the Midwestern teenager who has been charged with the murder of two protesters following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “We’re looking at all of it,” Trump said during a press conference Monday when asked by a reporter if he would “condemn the actions of vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse.” “That was an interesting situation,” Trump said. “You saw the same tape as I saw and he was trying to get away from them, I guess, looks like. And he fell and then they very violently attacked him and it […]
President Donald Trump welcomed his formal re-nomination at the Republican National Convention much like he has greeted crowds across the country, press in the briefing room at the White House and workers on factory floors in the months after his rallies were shut down: with a lengthy, rambling, grievance-filled speech. Despite promising an “optimistic” event, Trump had no sooner taken to the podium, before he complained about mail in voting, an evidence free attack on the democratic method that he returned to several times over the course of the more than 50 minute address. “The only way they can take this […]
Wins have been hard to come by for Tony Evers during the coronavirus pandemic. The first-term Wisconsin governor, like many of his contemporaries, has had to contend with the partisan backlash that has come with the policies brought about by the public health crisis—but unlike other Democratic governors, he’s been overruled, outmaneuvered or taken down by state Republicans to the point that even a key legislative ally concedes Evers’ approach has been impacted. That dynamic would be difficult to navigate anywhere, but given Wisconsin’s status as a key swing state heading into November’s general election, the stakes can be even more […]
In Kentucky, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is facing a two-front war—one against the coronavirus and the other with the state’s GOP attorney general who is fighting back against his emergency efforts to curb infections in the state. The result has been a fraught mix of politics and public health at a key time in the state’s efforts to thwart the spread of COVID-19. And some in the state aren’t thrilled with the war of words between the governor and Kentucky’s Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, as others worry that the legal dustup could cause confusion among the public. “It’s regrettable,” said […]
On a day where President Donald Trump tried to stick to his script in a return to coronavirus briefings, he still managed to mangle his messaging by lying about his mask use and wishing an accused sex trafficker well. Appearing solo without the burden of fact purveyors like doctors and experts, Trump initially read stiltedly from a paper in front of him, telling assembled reporters about the importance of masks and social distances following months of ignoring or deriding both practices. “I have the mask right here, I carry it. And I will use it gladly, no problem with it,” Trump […]
Elise Partin was waiting to see if her governor would take action. The mayor of Cayce, South Carolina, a city of roughly 14,000 people, had heard calls for a local mask order from people in her community and she believed that a statewide edict from Gov. Henry McMaster would prove to be easier to follow and understand for state residents during the coronavirus pandemic. When that didn’t happen, city leaders decided on their own mandate that took effect last week that “masks be worn in indoor places open to the general public,” according to a statement on Cayce’s website. The hesitation […]
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo believes she knows what her county needs to fight back against COVID-19. But because of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, she says she isn’t able to follow through. “I’m at the mercy of what powers he positively gives us,” Hidalgo told The Daily Beast. “As opposed to being able to use my own tools.” As Texas faces a resurgent coronavirus and some officials have emphasized concerns about hospitals in the state becoming potentially overrun or overwhelmed, Hidalgo can find plenty of reasons to worry. Hospitalizations started to increase in late May, she says, and haven’t come down […]
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration will soon mandate masks in seven of the state’s counties struggling with a resurgent coronavirus in a decision that is likely to only further add to the tension brewing between the state’s GOP leader and his inner party critics. The list includes the three most populous counties in the state that have seen a rising number of cases in the weeks after allowing a gradual reopening of some businesses. The new order will apply to “red-alert counties,” and will cover indoor locations that are not a home and outdoor places where social distancing isn’t possible from […]
Vice President Mike Pence defended President Donald Trump’s drive to hold rallies with sparse public health measures Friday, even as officials and health experts are sounding alarm bells that a resurgent coronavirus is causing problems in states across the country. “Well, the freedom of speech, the right to peaceably assemble is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States and we have an election coming up this fall,” Pence said when asked how the administration could justify the events. “And President Trump and I believe that taking proper steps, we’ve created screening at recent events and giving people the very best […]
North Carolina Republicans are making a last ditch effort to try and win back the marquee event of the Republican National Convention even after President Donald Trump made it abundantly clear he’s moving on from the state. The attempt amounts to the legislative version of the boombox scene in the 1980’s romcom Say Anything – a grand gesture to keep Trump’s affections in their state. But just like the romance in the film, no one really thinks it’ll work out in the end. “As far as the convention goes, as much as we want it here, I really don’t think it’s […]
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday he was taking the unprecedented step of fully mobilizing the state’s national guard for the first time in history after another night of protests and destruction following the death of George Floyd. “The situation in Minneapolis is no longer in any way about the murder of George Floyd,” Walz said. “It is about attacking civil society, instilling fear and disrupting our great cities.” But the first term Democratic governor said outside forces who don’t share the state’s values are playing a major role in causing the chaos that has troubled the area in recent days. […]
If health and safety fears weren’t enough to trouble local officials during the coronavirus pandemic, some Republican leaders are making it clear to nervous locals that their health restrictions could lead to a legal fight. GOP state leaders in Texas and South Dakota have sent clear warnings in the last week challenging areas in their state going rogue when it comes to health measures as the leaders practice a much more lax approach. Alabama’s Republican attorney general has also struck a similar tone in his state during the pandemic, warning in a statement late last month that municipalities’ expansive powers “is […]
Montana Senate President Scott Sales was already worried that Gov. Steve Bullock would be a tough challenge to Sen. Steve Daines’ re-election chances. Then the coronavirus shut down the country. Now, after weeks of the Democratic governor being able to dominate media coverage as he leads the state through the pandemic and into a reopening process, it isn’t lost on Sales that Bullock is getting a “backdrop of credibility,” as he’s seen by the public with other officials. And that could mean trouble for GOP hopes of keeping control of the U.S. Senate come November. “I think the coronavirus thing has […]
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has been widely praised for slowing the spread of coronavirus through a series of aggressive measures that closed down the state before many of his Republican counterparts around the country. But Keith Threewits, the executive committee chairman of the Darke County Republican Party, is not impressed. “Basically he superseded the constitution of Ohio and the constitution of the United States and violated the principles of the Declaration of Independence when the founders said that governments were instituted among men to preserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Threewits said when asked about DeWine by The Daily […]