Free Republic

WASHINGTON - As the first alarms sounded in early January that an outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China might ignite a global pandemic, the Trump administration squandered nearly two months that could have been used to bolster the federal stockpile of critically needed medical supplies and equipment. A review of federal purchasing contracts by The Associated Press shows federal agencies waited until mid-March to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers. Now, three months into the crisis, that stockpile is nearly drained just as the numbers of...

House Democrats are fond of saying there is no dispute about the facts in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. They are right, in this sense: Republicans are dealing in facts, and Democrats in fantasy. After two marathon question-and-answer sessions in the Senate on Wednesday and Thursday, it became clear that the Democrats’ case against President Trump is essentially based on five misquotes. They are as follows: 1. Ukraine call misquotes. The investigation of the president began with a “whistleblower” complaint that claimed “the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference...

The New York Times, citing only anonymous sources, accused President Trump of saying Haitians “all have AIDS” and Nigerians live in “huts,” and several attendees at the meeting then went on the record to say the accusations were false. According to The Times’ report, the president was furious after seeing a report of how many foreigners had entered the country since he became president. “More than 2,500 were from Afghanistan, a terrorist haven, the president complained

Donald Trump famously boasted that “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” I wonder if that offer is good for a North Korean long-range missile hitting the same spot? I ask, because North Korea’s state media is now hinting that it will test a long-range missile capable of hitting New York — and trolling Donald Trump in the process. You may recall that back in January, some media outlets got the idea that North Korea might test an intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting Trump to unleash a two-part Twitter...

Trump has dropped many such payloads through the first seven months of his campaign....And so, to make life a little easier for the attack dogs of the GOP Establishment, we've assembled the Collected Truth Bombs of Donald J. Trump. Climb into your bunker and hear them roar! *George W. Bush did not keep us safe. *The world would be safer if Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gadhafi were still in power. *If we topple Bashar al-Assad, he could be replaced by something worse. *NAFTA hurt blue-collar workers. *Hedge-fund managers can afford to pay more taxes. *Bill Kristol is terrible at predicting...

"As far as single payer, it works in Canada, it works incredibly well in Scotland." "I would press for universal healthcare. ... I would put forward a comprehensive health care program and fund it with an increase in corporate taxes." "We must have universal healthcare." "I hate the concept of it, but on a humanitarian basis, you have to [take in Syrian refugees]" "I support the ban on assault weapons and I also support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun." "I hate the concept of guns." "The Republicans walk the NRA line and refuse even limited restrictions."...