Oct 9, 2019

Trump ally says Ukraine whistleblowers are "suicide bombers" on Fox News

Former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova told Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Tuesday that Democrats are committing "regicide" against President Trump and called the Ukraine whistleblowers "suicide bombers."

"What you are seeing is regicide. This is regicide by another name — fake impeachment. The Democrats in the House want to destroy the president. They don't want to preserve the republic. There's nothing honorable about what is happening. This is a despicable abuse of constitutional power...
"I refuse to call them whistleblowers. These two nonentities are suicide bombers that the Democrats have unleashed on the democratic process."

Why it matters: Fox News — and Ingraham's show — are noted parts of Trump's media diet. And diGenova's comments are "the latest escalation in language used by Trump supporters" attacking the whistleblowers as safety concerns continue to grow, writes the Washington Post.

  • DiGenova, who was once considered as an addition to Trump's legal team for the Russia investigation, appeared on the show with the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
  • DiGenova and his wife, Victoria Toensing, are representing Ukrainian oligarchs who are caught up in Trump's widening Ukraine controversy, per Politico.

Go deeper: White House declares war on impeachment inquiry

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The wreckage of summer

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

We usually think of Memorial Day as the start of the summer, with all of the fun and relaxation that goes with it — but this one is just going to remind us of all of the plans that have been ruined by the coronavirus.

Why it matters: If you thought it was stressful to be locked down during the spring, just wait until everyone realizes that all the traditional summer activities we've been looking forward to are largely off-limits this year.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 5,410,228 — Total deaths: 345,105 — Total recoveries — 2,169,005 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 3 a.m. ET: 1,643,499 — Total deaths: 97,722 — Total recoveries: 366,736 — Total tested: 14,163,915 — Map.
  3. World: White House announces travel restrictions on Brazil, coronavirus hotspot in Southern Hemisphere — Over 100 coronavirus cases in Germany tied to single day of church services — Boris Johnson backs top aide amid reports that he broke U.K. lockdown while exhibiting symptoms.
  4. Public health: Officials are urging Americans to wear masks headed into Memorial Day weekend — Report finds "little evidence" coronavirus under control in most states — Hurricanes, wildfires, the flu could strain COVID-19 response
  5. Economy: White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says it's possible the unemployment rate could still be in double digits by November's election — Public employees brace for layoffs.
  6. Federal government: Trump attacks a Columbia University study that suggests earlier lockdown could have saved 36,000 American lives.
  7. What should I do? Hydroxychloroquine questions answered — Traveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagious — Masks, lending books and self-isolating — Exercise, laundry, what counts as soap — Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — How to minimize your risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

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U.S. coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios. This graphic includes "probable deaths" that New York City began reporting on April 14.

The CDC is warning of potentially "aggressive rodent behavior" amid a rise in reports of rat activity in several areas, as the animals search further for food while Americans stay home more during the coronavirus pandemic.

By the numbers: More than 97,700 people have died from COVID-19 and over 1.6 million have tested positive in the U.S. Over 366,700 Americans have recovered and more than 14.1 million tests have been conducted.

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