Sunday shows – Frustration mounts as protests hit state capitols

Discussions on the Sunday political talk shows turned to recent protests sparked by stay-at-home orders implemented to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A top Trump administration official said it is “devastatingly worrisome” that some protesters are not observing social-distancing guidelines.

Several governors also discussed moves in their states toward reopening.

Read The Hill’s complete coverage below.

Birx: ‘Devastatingly worrisome’ that protesters are not social distancing  By ZACK BUDRYK   White House coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx on Sunday said it was “devastatingly worrisome” that those protesting at state capitols against stay-at-home orders did not wear masks or practice social distancing, warning that they could unknowingly transmit the novel coronavirus to at-risk relatives. Read the full story here

Whitmer says Michigan protests ‘depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history’ By REBECCA KLAR   Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said protests inside the state capitol last week, featuring demonstrators with assault weapons, swastikas and Confederate flags, depicted some of the “worst racism and awful parts” of the nation’s history. Read the full story here

Ohio governor says now-reversed face mask mandate was ‘a bridge too far’ By JUSTINE COLEMAN   “It became very clear to me after we put out the order that everyone in retail who walked into a store as a customer would have to do that, it became clear to me that that was just a bridge too far,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said on ABC’s “This Week.” “People were not going to accept the government telling them what to do.” Read the full story here

New Jersey governor: Too early to tell if state will reopen by Memorial Day By ZACK BUDRYK   “I’ll be the happiest guy in New Jersey if not America if we are” ready to reopen, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said on “Fox News Sunday,” but added, “I think it’s too early to tell.” Read the full story here

Waiting for two-week decline in cases ‘just doesn’t work in states like ours,’ Mississippi governor says By ZACK BUDRYK   Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) on Sunday defended the steps his state has taken to reopen its economy without meeting the White House guidelines of two weeks of declining cases, saying each state’s situation is different. Read the full story here

Public health expert: ‘It’s going to take about two to three weeks to see’ whether early reopenings cause spike By ZACK BUDRYK   Tom Inglesby, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said on Sunday that the coronavirus’ incubation period meant it would take some time for any spike in infections due to relaxed restrictions to become apparent.  Read the full story here

Gottlieb: Mitigation ‘didn’t work as well as we expected’ By REBECCA KLAR   Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Sunday that measures put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus did not work as well as public health experts expected.  Read the full story here

Kudlow says there ‘may well be’ additional coronavirus stimulus legislation By REBECCA KLAR   President Trump’s chief economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said Sunday that there may be additional coronavirus stimulus legislation, but nothing has been decided yet. Read the full story here

Stephen Moore on economy: ‘It’s going to be a bad summer’ By MARTY JOHNSON    “It’s going to be a really tough time for retail…stores like Macy’s.. are going to face a tough time…because a lot of them were in trouble already,” economist Stephen Moore said. Read the full story here

Pompeo: China ‘did all that it could to make sure the world didn’t learn in a timely fashion’ about coronavirus By JUSTINE COLEMAN   Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the Chinese government did everything it could “to make sure the world didn’t learn in a timely fashion” about the coronavirus that has sparked a global pandemic. Read the full story here

DNC chairman on committee’s decline to form investigative panel: ‘I trust Joe Biden’ By JUSTINE COLEMAN   Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez on Sunday stood by the group’s decision not to form an investigative panel to look into a sexual assault allegation against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Read the full story here

RNC chairwoman on recent polls favoring Biden: ‘I don’t rely on polling this far out’ By JUSTINE COLEMAN    Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Sunday that recent polls showing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leading President Trump in key states are not reliable this early in the election cycle. Read the full story here

Amash says running as a third-party candidate won’t tip election to Trump By REBECCA KLAR    Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) defended his decision to run as a third-party candidate in the November election, denying that he would play a “spoiler role” and tip the election toward President Trump. Read the full story here