Jan 17, 2019

Michael Cohen says poll rigging was “at the direction of" Trump

Former lawyer to President Trump Michael Cohen. Photo: Corey Sipkin/AFP/Getty Images

Michael Cohen said in a Thursday tweet that he tried to rig polls "at the direction of and for the sole benefit of President Trump."

The big picture: Cohen was responding to a Wall Street Journal report that he hired an IT firm to attempt to rig online polls in Trump's favor. Neither of Cohen's attempts to rig online polls from CNBC and the Drudge Report ended up being particularly successful. "I truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesn’t deserve it," Cohen tweeted.

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Axios

Updated 2 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 11,288,094 — Total deaths: 531,244 — Total recoveries — 6,075,489 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 a.m. ET: 2,839,917 — Total deaths: 129,676 — Total recoveries: 894,325 — Total tested: 34,858,427 — Map.
States: Photos of America's pandemic July 4 — ICU beds in Arizona hot spot near capacity.
Public health: U.S. coronavirus infections hit record highs for 3 straight days.
Politics: Trump extends PPP application deadline — Kimberly Guilfoyle tests positive.
World: Mexican leaders call for tighter border control as infections rise in U.S.
Sports: 31 MLB players test positive as workouts resume.
1 📽 thing: Drive-in movie theaters are making a comeback.

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Shane Savitsky

24 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump's failing culture wars

Data: Google; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

President Trump built his political brand by stoking the nation's culture wars, but search data is showing us how much harder it's been for him to replicate that success while running against another white man in his 70s — and while there's a coronavirus pandemic.

The big picture: Google Trends data shows Trump's "Sleepy Joe" name-calling isn't generating nearly the buzz "Crooked Hillary" (or "Little Marco") did in 2016. Base voters who relished doubting President Obama's birth certificate aren't questioning Biden's.

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Orion Rummler

16 hours ago - Health

15 states broke single-day coronavirus records this week

Data: Compiled from state health departments by Axios; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

At least 15 states broke their single-day novel coronavirus infection records this week, according to state health department data reviewed by Axios.

The big picture: The number of coronavirus cases increased in the vast majority of states over the last week, and decreased in only two states plus the District of Columbia, Axios' Andrew Withershoop and Caitlin Owens report.