Sarah Al-Arshani, Business Insider, March 28, 2020:
President Donald Trump apparently called former Yankees player Alex Rodriguez for his thoughts on the administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak, ABC News reported Friday evening.
Rodriguez is not a medical or public health expert.During marathon day of meetings earlier this week, President Trump continued outreach across the country regarding coronavirus & phoned former Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez. Multiple sources tell ABC, the president spoke to ARod from the Oval Office via me & @KFaulders— John Santucci (@Santucci) March 28, 2020
Source told ABC that neither Rodriguez or his fiance Jennifer Lopez will have any official role in the effort, but one source close to the baseball star reportedly said the call with the president was "pleasant".
ABC also reported that the call was part of a number of calls Trump made this week regarding the virus and its impact on the country.
On Friday night, Trump tweeted "More Fake News!" in response to ABC's report of the call.The call - asking A-Rod for his thoughts - was part of Trump’s continued outreach across the country about the virus. Trump spent much of his week speaking to business leaders & others about how the country is handling the pandemic. https://t.co/UpH5zzKRcE— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) March 28, 2020
The US currently has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world with more than 104,000 infected and close to 1,700 deaths.
Trump ... has also said in recent days he wanted to open the country back up by Easter, despite public health officials saying a longer lockdown is needed to help curb the spread of the outbreak.
Additionally, Trump has been critical of governors who are asking the federal government for more support to curb outbreaks in their state. ...
Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, March 28, 2020:Always one of these pic.twitter.com/pfvTnlvNiS— SociallyDistantTruthAndJustice (@sedespres) March 28, 2020
Seeking guidance from, shall we say, unusual sources is not exactly something new for Trump. (How a guy goes from owning shopping malls in New Jersey to heading a Middle East peace plan is one for the record books.) Former Fox News commentator Eric Bolling, who was dismissed from the network after accusations of sexual harassment, had the President's ear as Congress was drafting their stimulus bill. As my colleague Caleb Ecarma reported, Bolling personally pitched Trump a stimulus plan entitled "Bolling2020."
But reaching out to A-Rod is weird even by Trump standards. While it seems like several lifetimes ago, A-Rod was once a target of severe Trump criticism before his new role as a trusted advisor during an unprecedented pandemic. Trump regularly accused him of being "a druggie" and "on the juice." He also suggested that the player was "bad chemistry with the Yankees" and "couldn't perform without drugs," and theorized that Rodriguez was at his best only when he hung his helmet at Trump Park Avenue.
A-Rod is a less than average baseball player now that he is unable to use drugs. A-Rod misrepresented to th… (cont) http://t.co/SZbeilM7— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2011
A drug free A-Rod is just an average baseball player.@Yankees will soon move him down in the batting order & should renegotiate his contract— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2012
Drop A-Rod in the order and cut his salary based on unreported drug use. Also, not a pressure player.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 9, 2012
A-Rod must be dropped in the Yankees line-up tonight if they want to win. He simply can't perform without drugs.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2012
Staff at Trump Park Avenue disliked A-Rod--to put it "mildly" -- The staff at Trump World Tower loves Derek Jeter.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2012
Everyone's wondering what's wrong with A-Rod. Not one sports writer blames it on his not being able to use drugs anymore-- the real reason.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2012
A-Rod is just not making it. We want to give him a chance but it was only drugs that made him great.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2012
A-Rod was a great player when he lived at Trump Park Avenue--- even though he was on the juice!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2012
Last Saturday A-Rod was 0-3 and left 6 stranded. But he was still hitting on girls from the dugout http://t.co/ocd4ZHlD He is very selfish!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2012
Now there is talk of A-Rod being shipped to @Marlins. If A-Rod is not a @yankee next year, the fans will be happy.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2012
The biggest problem with A-Rod is he is bad for the chemistry of the Yankees--- he must go.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2012
I started to get very worried about Mitt's chances when I heard that A-Rod donated to his campaign. Everything A-Rod touches turns bad.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2012
A-Rod’s salary is more than the entire @astros. Half the players on @astros will have better seasons than him. A-Rod is a joke!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2013
A-Rod has disgraced the blessed @Yankees organization, lied to the fans & embarrassed NYC. He does not deserve to wear the pinstripes.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2013
I am so disappointed that the Yankeed haven't terminatrd A-Rod's contract. There is no way they would not win in court! Hard to believe.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2013
Just like @Yankee organization, I can’t wait for @MLB to suspend A-Rod. Will be a great day for the sport.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2013
It is a great victory for NYC that A-Rod will never wear pinstripes again.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2013
It’s Wednesday. How many times will A-Rod sue the @Yankees today? A-Rod has no one to blame but himself for his predicament.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2013
This is so dumb. Everyone knows that BeyoncĂ© and Jay-Z are the celebs to consult with on pandemics, not ARod and JLo. https://t.co/4eaHpugk9s— Brett Michael (@thecajunboy) March 28, 2020
Does this qualify as a sports story?
ReplyDeleteThe Pentagon spends more than $250 million every day on the military (in 2017), but somehow the US cannot find the money to guarantee its citizens humane health insurance. (More amazingly, many people believe this is a good thing.)
ReplyDelete"A Los Angeles teen — who tested positive for the coronavirus — died of septic shock after being turned away from an urgent care facility because he didn't have health insurance. ... [T]he 17-year old's positive COVID-19 test didn't arrive until after his death ... [T]he teen was healthy and had no pre-existing conditions before his death. ... [T]he boy was turned away from the urgent care facility despite having respiratory issues because he didn't have insurance and was told to go to a public hospital instead. The boy went into cardiac arrest en route to Antelope Valley Hospital."
I have no idea how a parent would be able to control his rage in the wake of something like this. How do you not make it your mission to kill someone who has voted to deny your child health insurance (which that person's children all have, of course)?
Jesus, I never thought I'd be rooting for Slappy, but Trump's stupid bullshit, back then and still today, have me suddenly seeing the retired MFY, at least in contrast to Trump, as a tower of integrity, decency, dignity, honesty--just a few of the many things Trump lacks.
ReplyDeleteDoes this qualify as a sports story?
ReplyDeletelol
Don't Worry Allan !!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDump informs us that America will be "open for business" on April 12
So all this will magically disappear overnight on April 11 .....
That statement from the self-described "stable genius" was highly unstable & very very far from clever. To me it clearly indicated Zombie Brain Decay !
Indeed, I would say, it was, UNQUESTIONABLY, the Stupidest & Most Irresponsible Statement Ever Made by ANY Public Official, in ANY Country, in my 51 year old lifetime ......
Words Simply Fail You !
I would put it this way :
Dump may contest the Election in 2020 or perhaps even 2021 ?
His opponent, Uncle Joe, might be 107 years old, have 18 underlying medical conditions, have never led anything, be completely "marbeless", not know what day it is & have no idea where Canada even is ?
BUT ...... Joe would still be way less dangerous & far more competent ........ even if they locked him in a Broom Cupboard for years
Essentially, at this point, IF the choice was between Dump and a Bucket of PigShit ......
Well, only members of The Cult of Cretins, would fail to see the inherent value of the Bucket !!!!!!!!!
Funny, I never thought about the contents of Trump's twitter feed before he was running for Prez. Not that more evidence of his insanity is needed, but jesus.
ReplyDelete