Sunday shows – US approaching 100K coronavirus deaths as Americans venture out

by The Hill staff - 05/24/20 11:41 AM ET

Discussions on the Sunday morning political talk shows turned to masks and social distancing as Americans venture out for the Memorial Day weekend and the number of U.S. coronavirus-related deaths nears 100,000.

The coordinator of White House coronavirus task force, Deborah Birx, said those who can’t socially distance while outside need to wear a mask.

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett also said that high unemployment rates sparked by the coronavirus pandemic could remain in the double digits through the presidential election in November.

Read The Hill’s complete coverage below.

Birx clarifies beach comments: ‘If you can’t social distance and you’re outside, you must wear a mask’

By JUSTINE COLEMAN

Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, on Sunday clarified her comments about going to the beach Memorial Day weekend, saying those who can’t socially distance outside need to wear a mask.

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Ohio governor: Wearing a mask ‘is not about politics’

By REBECCA KLAR

“This is not about politics, this is not about whether you’re liberal or conservative, left or right, Republican, Democrat. We wear the mask, and it’s been very clear what the studies have shown, you wear the mask not to protect yourself so much as to protect others. And this is one time when we truly are all in this together,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

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Former adviser on Trump not wearing mask: ‘Do as I say not as I do isn’t very useful’

By JUSTINE COLEMAN

Former homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said Sunday that President Trump’s decision to not wear a mask in public “isn’t very useful.”

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‘I’m very concerned when people go out and don’t maintain social distancing,’ Birx says

By ZACK BUDRYK

White House coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx said Sunday she is “very concerned” that some Americans who are venturing out for the Memorial Day holiday weekend are not maintaining social distancing.

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Birx says ‘it’s difficult to tell’ if country will close again

By JUSTINE COLEMAN

Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, said Sunday that it is difficult to tell if the country will close again because of the pandemic.

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Arkansas governor after single-day case spike: ‘We take the virus very seriously’ but ‘you can’t cloister yourself at home’

By ZACK BUDRYK

“We have to manage the risk,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We take the virus very seriously, it’s a risk, it causes death, but you can’t cloister yourself at home, that is just contrary to the American spirit.”

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New Jersey governor warns of educator, health-care worker layoffs without federal aid

By REBECCA KLAR

“We announced a budget on Friday for the next four months and we had it cut or defer over $5 billion of expenditures, and this includes potentially laying off educators, firefighters, police, EMS, health-care workers. This is not abstract, this is real,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

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White House economic adviser: Unemployment rate could be ‘double digits’ in November

By REBECCA KLAR

Unemployment rates sparked by the coronavirus pandemic could remain in the double digits through the presidential election in November, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday.

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GOP senator: ‘You can do’ mail-in voting with laws in place to limit ‘fraud’

By REBECCA KLAR

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said on Sunday that states can conduct mail-in voting for the November election amid the coronavirus pandemic, but said laws to mitigate fraud need to be in place.

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Demmings hits Trump for campaigning off Biden ‘you ain’t black’ comments

By REBECCA KLAR

Rep. Val Demmings (D-Fla.), a who is considered a potential running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, on Sunday called out President Trump for campaigning off comments Biden made about black voters.

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National security adviser compares Chinese coronavirus response to Chernobyl

By ZACK BUDRYK

White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien on Sunday compared China’s response to the coronavirus outbreak to the Soviet response to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

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White House nearing decision on cutting off travel from Brazil, O’Brien says

By ZACK BUDRYK

The White House hopes to reach a decision soon on whether to cut off travel from Brazil, a worsening coronavirus hotspot, national security adviser Robert O’Brien said Sunday.

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