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From NBC's Ben Kamisar If it's Sunday, the president is talking about who to lock up, not how to lock down on the spread of the coronavirus.
Two weeks before an election amid the greatest public health crisis in generations, President Trump laid into Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during a Saturday night rally in the state, calling on her to relax coronavirus-related restrictions despite a surge of cases there.
But when the mere mention of the Democratic governor sparked chants of "lock her up," Trump didn't step in to lower the heat. "Lock them all up."
—President Trump on Saturday in Michigan It's been less than two weeks since law enforcement foiled a plot by milita members to kidnap Whitmer.
Whitmer pointed to that plot on Sunday's "Meet the Press" when she accused the president of using his words to foment domestic terrorism. "Ten days after a plot to kidnap, put me on trial and execute me — 10 days after that was uncovered, the president is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism"
—Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on "Meet the Press." Asked about the charge the president is criticizing a public official for her attempts to control the spread of the virus in her community, Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar said he wouldn't talk "politics."
Instead, he deflected criticism about the country's response by pointing to surges in cases in Europe, arguing that America is just "weeks away" from promising therapeutics and a safe vaccine.
And he defended Trump's decision to hold an indoor event with Florida seniors and a slew of outdoor rallies in states seeing a spike in cases.
Click on the photos below to watch the full interviews with both Whitmer and Azar.
Top expert warns: Next few months could be the 'darkest of the entire pandemic' While President Trump continues to frame the end of the pandemic as just around the corner, the scientists disagree.
On today's "Meet the Press," infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm rebutted the president's optimism with a cold assessment — the situation in America is in a bad place. "The next six to 12 weeks are going to be the darkest of the entire pandemic. ... We've got to get the message to the public that reflects the science and reflects reality."
—Dr. Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, on "Meet the Press." Predicting that any vaccine won't become "available in a meaningful way until early-to-third quarter" of 2021, Osterholm said that the holidays will likely yield yet another increase in cases.
And he warned Americans of the dangers of traveling around the holidays, arguing that the "greatest gift of all" is not exposing loved ones to a potentially deadly virus, and lamenting that people may have to accept that "this is our Covid year" where sacrifices will have to be made.
Click on the photo below to watch the whole interview with Osterholm.
TWEETS OF THE DAY: Kevin versus QAnon
DATA DOWNLOAD: Why Biden's lead may not be déjà vu It feels familiar — the Democrat leading Trump by double digits in national polling just weeks before Election Day.
But Data Download runs down a variety of reasons why Hillary Clinton's 2016 lead looks different than Joe Biden's: Biden is over 50 percent in polls, while Clinton wasn't A similar belief the country is on the wrong track benefits Democrats this time, like it helped the GOP in 2016 Biden's favorability rating is better than Clinton's was And Biden is performing better with key segments of the electorate like seniors, whites and independentsClick on the graphic below for more.
ICYMI: A flurry of voting lawsuits could shape the election The massive expansion of mail-in voting triggered by the pandemic has prompted a flurry of voting lawsuits that could (along with others likely to be filed even closer to Election Day) help shape the results of November's elections.
Click on the photo below to read more from NBC's Jane C. Timm about some of the biggest election policy changes so far. REUTERS/Mike Blake
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