Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt just announced out of the blue that he won’t run for another term in 2022, joining a growing list of Republican senators stepping down. In this latest episode of The Point, CNN’s Chris Cillizza explains why this phenomenon demonstrates former President Donald Trump’s staying power.
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:
GOP Sen. Roy Blunt announces he will not run for reelection
Senator Roy Blunt Calls Trump’s Actions ‘Reckless,’ But Won’t Call On Him To Resign
Senate rejects expanded gun background checks
ERIN MURPHY: Census delay, Grassley’s decision put 2022 races on hold
Trump vows to campaign against 'disloyal' Murkowski
Senate Republicans just took 2 big hits to their 2022 chances
About me:
I was named "best dressed" in 7th grade. That, along with being CNN's editor at large and author of the daily "Point" newsletter are my proudest achievements. Look for me here every Tuesday and Thursday to find out what’s really going down in politics.
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#CNN #Cillizza #Senate
Which Senate race are you watching most closely? — Chris
@BostonBruins 88 you shouldn’t be in Boston as a Trump-a-nite
@BostonBruins 88 it was a joke calm down #MORON
546,000 death toll
why is the usa the worst effected country on earth
miss-informtion online that altered us policy
iran swore revernge online
they played off what russian corruption started q
iran has hacked into usa dams and open flood gates
there greanal death
there cycber branch of there miltarty is one of the most advanved on earth they upgraded after stuxnet
who made that?
more copy’s using its delivery mechanism are growing numbers
it spreads like a pandemic
being hacked
being censored
New York Times-3/20/21:Where Europe Went Wrong in Its Vaccine Rollout, [and Why Trump Administration’s Warp Speed won the day.’]
The calls began in December, as the United States prepared to administer its first batches of Covid-19 vaccine. Even then, it was clear that the European Union was a few weeks behind, and its leaders wanted to know what they could learn from their American counterparts.
The questions were the same, from President Emmanuel Macron of France, President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, and Alexander De Croo, the prime minister of Belgium.
“How did you do it?” Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the Trump Administration’s vaccine czar, recalled them asking on the calls. “And what do you think we missed?”
Since then, the rollout gap between Europe and the United States has only widened, and some of the countries hardest hit early in the pandemic are facing a deadly third wave of infections. France, large parts of Italy, and other regions are back in lockdown. Roughly 20,000 Europeans die of Covid-19 each week.
Brussels, by comparison, took a conservative, budget-conscious approach that left the open market largely untouched. And it has paid for it.
In short, the answer today is the same as it was in December, said Dr. Slaoui. The bloc shopped for vaccines like a customer. The United States basically went into business with the drugmakers, spending much more heavily to accelerate vaccine development, testing and production.
“They assumed that simply contracting to acquire doses would be enough,” recalled Dr. Slaoui, whom President Donald J. Trump hired to speed the vaccine development. “In fact what was very important was to be a full, active partner in the development and the manufacturing of the vaccine. And to do so very early.”
‘Not Equipped for a Gunfight’
The European Union trailed the United States and Britain from the start.
Washington had already spent billions on clinical trials and manufacturing by the time Europe decided to pool its resources and negotiate as a bloc. In mid-June, the European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, announced a joint vaccine purchase with a $3.2 billion pot.
In Washington, Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine program, had a $10 billion budget. European officials say it’s unfair to compare the two figures because neither amount is a complete picture of all the money spent on vaccines. But there is no dispute that in Washington, officials had decided that money was no object if vaccines could avert the economic cost of a lockdown. Europe, on the other hand, was on a tight budget, so its negotiators chased cheaper doses.
“Pricing has been important since the beginning,” Sandra Gallina, the E.U.’s main vaccine negotiator, told lawmakers in February. “We are talking about taxpayers’ money.”
New York Times // 3/24/21 : Gov. Cuomo’s Family Is Said to Have Received Special Access to Virus Tests. Top health officials tested Chris Cuomo, the governor’s brother, when testing was not widely available, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration arranged special access to government-run coronavirus testing for members of his family and other influential people as the pandemic descended on New York last year, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.
The move to make testing of people closely tied to Mr. Cuomo a priority was carried out by high-ranking state health officials, one of the people said. It mostly happened in March 2020, as the seriousness of the virus was still becoming clear to the broader public and testing was not widely available.
Among those who benefited from the special treatment was the governor’s brother, the CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, and his family, who were tested several times in the pandemic’s early phase, this person said. The governor’s mother, Matilda Cuomo, and at least one of his sisters were also able to take advantage of the state-administered tests, the two people said.
Chris Cuomo announced on March 31 last year that he had tested positive for the virus.
That the governor’s administration effectively let well-connected people cut the line to determine whether they had been infected with a deadly virus that was ravaging the state was reported earlier by The Times Union of Albany, N.Y., and The Washington Post.
The revelation comes as Mr. Cuomo confronts the most significant crisis of his political career, with many of his fellow elected New York Democrats calling for him to resign in the face of multiple sexual harassment allegations and questions about his administration’s handling of the virus-related deaths of nursing home residents.
The State Assembly opened an impeachment investigation this week to examine both issues, while the state attorney general has started a separate inquiry, and federal agents are investigating the nursing home matter.
The revelation of preferential tests could present an additional challenge to the already embattled administration. State law prohibits officials from using their position to obtain “privileges or exemptions” for themselves or others, or to attempt to do so.
The GOP is done.
@Rich Sackett
Media mob is afraid to ask ‘what happened to Biden?’
@Rich Sackett Biden Is Illegally Keeping Migrant Kids in Detention for 38% Longer Than Last Week.
The Biden regime is holding unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. illegally for an average of 107 hours – nearly one and a half days longer than the legally allowed limit.
@Rich Sackett 90,000 Ballots in Largest Nevada County Sent to Wrong Addresses, Bounced Back: Report
March 10, 2021 Updated: March 10, 2021
@Rich Sackett you are entitled to your opinion. Many Americans do not want to be socialists. I don’t care anout Trump’s or any other oligarch’s track records. For me personally, capitalism is best for me. And I believe it is also best for all of America.
@Skin Matters Many Americans voted for the worst POTUS in history twice.
RIP GQP : 1854 – 2016
@Obsidian Blue Sure, the Dems won, but it goes without saying that Trump attracted a huge non white vote at the last election. “didn’t work last year” doesn’t make sense….in the context of my question..
@Hai Voai You sure you know where you are on ytube…?
Trump 2024
If anything, these senators will be replaced with Trumpians. It’s not the end of GOP — it’s the start of Trumpy Dumpy Party.
@c.f. Okonta
Trump won’t run in 2024. He doesn’t want to be America’s 2nd choice for president a third time.
How can Sen. Rob Portman claim to retire due to “Partisan Grid look” but he hasnt lifted one finger on the Covid Relief Package
@Deborah Freedman Hmmm, I’ll remind you of the ‘Cares Act’ that helped corporations, ones also that didn’t need help…
@janine wetzler Yeah sure, All these third world countries are beating us in the vaccine race when they can’t even figure out how to make their water safe to drink. Lol I needed that laugh. Have fun bleaching your anus Lefty
@Sam Spamoli You realize that the Cares Act, under the Trump administration, was almost 2 trillion? Do your research before you repeat the propaganda you’ve been fed. It isn’t the most costly bill as you claim. It’s the most partisan bill because Republicans wouldn’t vote for a bill under democrats.
re Tea and Trumpets – HOW? Because he is a real, natural politician, just like Trumps golfing buddy Lindsay Graham and a slew of other Gop’s.
@Nancy nice post
The Care act was passed 96-0
By the senate. After already spending 2 Trillion the game should have changed. To spend another 2 trillion is absurd like your assumptions. Speaking of research, how do you like the Bill Gates foundation getting 3.5 billion?
Instead of fighting back, they run!! Thank God, AMERICA didn’t count on them during WW2!
@Sea King nah. Just promote the latter, keep the former (but you should be critical about the origins) and don’t change too much at once… People are creatures of habit.
Trump knew what he was doing when he hugged that flag… Don’t make it about the flag, you will unite your enemy… Over a pyrrhic victory. Like declaring equal rights means nothing when it is not widely supported. You can’t ram it down peoples’ throats. Well, you can, but it unites them in anger… So indeed, focus on education. Takes longer, but it also has a long term effect. Symbolism is nice, but it should never be the focus… Focus on green energy and help out those who lose their job in fossil fuel industries. Etc. Try helping out people in need… _All of them,_ even if you don’t happen to like them. Help them out and they will like you. Have heart.
Biden is doing well, he’s not joining in on the little skirmishes that just promote radicals in the end. Antifa and Neo-Nazis have been emboldened by said skirmishes. They don’t serve anything but themselves, it’s just fueling the fire of intolerance. Highly emotional. Take a step back… Maga might be wrong, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make America great again. You have fallen quite a bit, on the global stage. Long term, that’s bad: China doesn’t seem so bad when you keep messing up as a nation.
Best of luck and try to have a nice day anyway 😉
Of course they didn’t depend on them. The conservatives supported hitler and tried to demonize FDR for siding with hitlers opposition. They are fucking trash
@corbeau Biden and commie Kamala should get Cameron Champ and Tony Finau to fly the BLM flag over magnolia lane to start the Masters! The battle of WOKE supremacy vs. White supremacy!
@Republicans are terrorists How are the commie cult children doing today ??? Having a hard time with your TDS??? 🤣🤣🤣
Democrat Logic: Joe Biden Says Military Will Focus on Making “Maternity Flight Suits” — So Pregnant Women Can Drop Into Enemy Territory During Wartime? (VIDEO)
@ARLENE WUK Lemme guess you want to force schools to teach whatever the bullshit of the 1776 commission came up with
Which said commission didn’t contain a SINGLE Actual historian
Just a bunch of old white conservative men
I’d mind that last point less if they were
Yk
ACTUAL HISTORIANS
“These Senate retirements show why Trump is still powerful” or they show how weak Republicans Senators are.
They show those, unwilling to worship the golden Trump idol, are realistic about their ability to be win a primary. We need a new party for sane conservatives, as the GOP is now neither sane or conservative.
@Kyle Stevens It is only way cnn stays in business. Is because Trump keeps them in business. If they stop talking about him. They wdnt be able to survive. Cnn is the #1 that uses Trump nonstop
@Cathy Lane (and Kyle Stevens). What you as Trumpers apparently fail to recognize is the massive interest from the majority of America’s population to see the idiot finally brought to justice for his atrocities while in office. Unlike your good selves, there are people who have been so horrified by his abuse of the presidency that they feel he must be made to pay for his crimes against humanity. As an oversees observer, I too look forward to that outcome.
They can see the writing on the wall, you are either with him or not with him. Obviously they have chosen the later….
@Ignoranceisbliss Let’s call it out now, it’s basically Trumps party, every things on pause right now. Lots of things have to play themselves out, and this is what’s happening now….
They all contributed to the problem.
💯
Rob “The Invertebrate” Portman was a Good Little Boy and voted faithfully along trumpist lines. That he thinks he’ll be primaried and probably lose is a pretty scary scenario. Too many Trumpist loons out there.
They flirted with dangerous tactics thinking they could control the monster. They are complicit in the results. A smarter man than me should write a stinging indictment on their legacy. They are cowards.
😅Damn I still ask how could the dumbest guy on the planet take over the republican party and they sat back like lil puppets and allowed him!!
Right? He isn’t brilliant at all. He just picks enablers to surround him and it spreads like disease.
Follow the money
@mauri He’s poor too. Poor guy paid less taxes than me the first year he was president.
I could handle dumb. It’s sick psycho, amoral, narcissist, crooked & compulsive liar I have a problem with.
@james zimmerman Lmbo, ok I can handle that
🤔. These Republicans complain about lack of compromise while compromising their own moral standards to accommodate the Criminal-In-Chief? Pathetic.
Amen
https://youtu.be/qUAmAES-2o0
The current GOP does nothing but project. They have no policies to stand on so they project their own behavior on to everybody else and accuse everybody else of doing what the GOP is doing. That’s all they have, that’s all dumpster Donnie left them.
Half of America has lost its collective minds
That half sold their country for a red hat.
Sad.
@random stuff I agree with you. Trump & most of America was shocked that Georgia “turned blue” in 2020 (presidential & senate votes).
However, we’re a perfect example of your statements. Georgia has been purple and trying to turn blue for years.
If not for state & local office holders (mostly Republicans) gerrymandering, changing laws, and (illegally) dropping legally registered voters from the rolls, we would have already turned blue. As everyone knows, they are at it again- changing voting laws- to Republicans’ advantage.
It is true that Stacey Abrams would have won the gubernatorial race, had Kemp not been allowed by state law to “oversee” the election & manipulate his way to an illegally-won “victory”. And it was not just blacks who thought she was the better choice and voted for Abrams.
They don’t want “majority to rule” here. Georgia Republicans know they can’t win a fair election, so they’ve been manipulating voting rules and abusing voters’ rights to keep Republicans in office. They assume they can put up any candidate- no matter how bad- with no platform or plan and expect them to be elected.
The nation has heard that Fulton County in Georgia is majority black and assume it’s mostly blacks who are Democrats. No true. There are many other counties in Georgia that are now now predominately voting for Democratic candidates.
Look at the disaster of M. Taylor Greene. Georgia Republicans knew about her and still backed her. Her Democratic opponent was threatened and dropped out of the race. She ran unopposed, which was the only way she could win. That was convenient.
It’s time now for Georgians to start paying attention to local representatives, the upcoming elections and vote out those Republicans whose only motivation is to keep their party in power, rather than representing the majority interests.
I predict Georgia will turn “reliably blue” in the near future.
@judy britt Yeah, Georgia could go the way of Virginia, though perhaps not quite as quickly.
@Kyoril At least we aren’t buying into your socialist red coat ideology. Thanks a lot for helping sell America out instead of making America GREAT Again.
Oh yeah, where is Hunter Biden anyway?
To GOP:
We wish you a Merrick Garland
We wish you a Merrick Garland
We wish you a Merrick Garland
And Indictments all year!
Because they KNOW they can’t win. Thats why they retire.
And they are complicit. And not the Vanky definition!
Diann Showers – Not unless you go full batshit Q Annon. The GOP continues it’s descent into irrelevance. Most Americans, and even most Republicans were not impressed with January 6th. The fight over Trump’s base is pointless. They will only vote for Donald Trump. They won”t even vote for his kids much less Cruz or Hawley.
Got their bag full . Gotta run hid now 😉
The rats are deserting the sinking ship.
Rats? U mean republicans? Or
🗣🔊 THE 🐀🐀🐀 RATS BETTER STAY WHERE THEY ARE AT . 🏛 CAUSE , TRUMP IS GOING TO JAIL. 🔗 AND HE’S NOT GOING TO HAVE A SHIP. ( HE’LL HAVE A CELL 🚽 ) 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
And his jumpsuit will match his spray-on tan perfectly!
Best comment on the thread
I just realized Mitch Mcconal looks like Penguin from Batman Returns when he eats those fish. 🐟
He flip flops so much that the fish I think he’s one of them.
Hell it was hard enough adjusting to the George W Bush presidency era, when they brought in dumpster boy is when I left the party for good. I’m tired of having to waste so many years of cleaning up after the current GOPQs messes. Just imagine how our lives would be right now if we never let the Dixiecrats take over the GOP. We wouldn’t be going through any of this today. They are willing to sacrifice their children to get what they want.
I think Trump may be overestimating his ability to travel during the mid terms
I hope
@PennyAfNorberg haters
They had their moment to allow him to fade into obscurity or was it infamy? Power & votes are all he is too them. All? 🤣🤣🤣
If he’s so powerful then why is he about to go to prison for the rest of his life.
“And also., he’s Ted Cruz.” We all know his name is more than enough.
I’ll give you one adivice for free: Turn Off TV and go back to work!!!!!!