Jonathan Reiner, MD, is a CNN medical analyst and Professor of Medicine and Surgery at George Washington University. The views expressed in this commentary belong to the author. View more opinion at CNN. (CNN) The January 6 attack on the United States Capitol was a vivid demonstration of the havoc that can result when a really big lie is repeatedly injected into the body politic. Jonathan Reiner But there was another big lie in 2020, also propagated by former President Donald Trump, involving the coronavirus pandemic. It was a lie that systematically downplayed the severity of Covid-19 and the utility of face masks. It very likely resulted in the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans. To understand the genesis of this lie, remember that the coronavirus arrived in an election year. Despite a rancorous initial three years punctuated with an impeachment, the former president's path to reelection was bolstered by one unimpeachable … [Read more...] about Donald Trump’s other, tragic big lie
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Senate GOP works to avoid having ’22 war with Trump
Senate Republicans are hoping to avoid an intraparty bloodbath that would threaten their chances of taking back the majority in 2022. Tensions within the party have been on full display since the ugly mob attack on the Capitol and the impeachment vote and Senate trial that divided Republicans and left former President Trump Donald Trump Senators given no timeline on removal of National Guard, Capitol fence Democratic fury with GOP explodes in House Georgia secretary of state withholds support for 'reactionary' GOP voting bills MORE and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Klain on Manchin's objection to Neera Tanden: He 'doesn't answer to us at the White House' Democratic fury with GOP explodes in House Murkowski undecided on Tanden as nomination in limbo MORE (R-Ky.) trading charges in public. Even on Wednesday, the tensions were evident when House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Kevin … [Read more...] about Senate GOP works to avoid having ’22 war with Trump
Kinzinger: GOP will ‘be a minority party forever’ if we keep supporting Trump
Rep. Adam Kinzinger Adam Daniel Kinzinger Tucker Carlson bashes CNN, claims it's 'more destructive' than QAnon Six ways to visualize a divided America Kinzinger: GOP will 'be a minority party forever' if we keep supporting Trump MORE (R-Ill.) is amping up his calls for the party to split with former President Trump Donald Trump Senators given no timeline on removal of National Guard, Capitol fence Democratic fury with GOP explodes in House Georgia secretary of state withholds support for 'reactionary' GOP voting bills MORE , arguing Republicans won’t take back the majority if they continue to embrace his brand. “I don't know what that looks like, all I know is I can rest with real peace knowing that I'm going to fight as hard as I can to get a normal functioning Republican Party," he told CNN's Chris Cuomo Chris Cuomo Kinzinger: GOP will 'be a minority party forever' if we keep supporting Trump Cruz blames criticism of Cancun … [Read more...] about Kinzinger: GOP will ‘be a minority party forever’ if we keep supporting Trump
Trump backs former campaign adviser for Ohio Republican Party chair
Former President Trump Donald Trump Senators given no timeline on removal of National Guard, Capitol fence Democratic fury with GOP explodes in House Georgia secretary of state withholds support for 'reactionary' GOP voting bills MORE threw his support behind former campaign adviser Bob Paduchik in the race to be the next chair of the Ohio Republican Party. Paduchik, a GOP operative, was a senior adviser to Trump’s 2020 reelection bid and was the Ohio state director for his 2016 campaign. “Bob Paduchik is running for Chair of the Republican Party of Ohio. He successfully led my campaign in both 2016 and 2020, having even more success the second time around," Trump said in a statement released by his Save America PAC. "He is outstanding in every way, and I give him my full and complete endorsement. Bob loves our country and the Great State of Ohio. He will be an outstanding Chairman!” ADVERTISEMENT The endorsement in a race to chair a state party … [Read more...] about Trump backs former campaign adviser for Ohio Republican Party chair
CPAC Highlights Trump’s Influence Over GOP Amid Party’s Civil War: ‘He Owns That Crowd’
If there were any doubts about Donald Trump 's outsized influence over the Republican Party, they'll likely be wiped away after this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida. One of the most prominent annual gatherings for conservatives, CPAC 2021 — operating under the banner "America Uncanceled" — will give a glimpse of the state of the GOP as it faces a civil war over its future. "The party apparatus from the state and local level to the national level has pretty much remained in control of Trump loyalists," Evan Siegfried, a Republican strategist and commentator, told Newsweek . He added, "Everybody at CPAC is beholden to him and he owns that crowd." GOP consultant Mark Weaver echoed that sentiment, telling Newsweek : "Among the Republican base there's still a lot of energy surrounding the Trump record and the Trump priorities, and the CPAC agenda that reflects that." Speakers include Mike Pompeo , Trump's secretary of state; Ben Carson … [Read more...] about CPAC Highlights Trump’s Influence Over GOP Amid Party’s Civil War: ‘He Owns That Crowd’