Axios

Joe Biden said Saturday that he has discouraged some governors from endorsing him, warning them that if they do so, the Trump administration may retaliate by withholding critical COVID-19 supplies.

What he's saying: "I probably shouldn't say this. ... I told some governors, don't endorse me ... because you'll pay a penalty," Biden said in a virtual town hall at Amalgamated Transit Union in Wilmington, Delaware. "You won't get what you need from the federal government in terms of this COVID crisis.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) tweeted Saturday that he has checked himself into a hospital as a "precautionary measure" after testing positive for the coronavirus.

The big picture: Christie attended an indoor briefing by President Trump in the White House on Sept. 27, and helped the president prepare for Tuesday's debate. He also attended Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Rose Garden formal nomination on Sept. 29, which saw multiple politicians close to the White House test positive for COVID-19.

President Trump's re-election campaign on Saturday announced the launch of "Operation MAGA," a "full marshaling of top-level surrogates, campaign coalitions and Trump supporters to rally behind the president and carry the campaign forward" after Trump was sidelined due to his COVID-19 diagnosis.

Why it matters: The announcement comes just 31 days before Election Day. The Trump campaign said on Friday that all previously scheduled campaign events involving the president were being moved to virtual events or would be temporarily postponed.

What is the actual state of President Trump's health — now and over the past 24 hours?

Why it matters: It’s one of the most high-stakes questions in the world, and I cannot answer it, despite having spent since 5 a.m. on Friday on my phone with sources inside and close to the White House.

Cal Cunningham, the Democrat running to unseat incumbent GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina, acknowledged Friday that he sent intimate text messages to a woman who isn’t his wife, according to the Raleigh-based News & Observer.

Why it matters: Tillis and Cunningham's race is a key competition for Democrats as they try to win control of the Senate, though Cunningham has said he won’t drop out.

White House physician Sean Conley said in a statement Saturday that he misspoke at a press conference earlier that day to update the nation on President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis and trip to Walter Reed Medical Center.

The state of play: During the press conference, Conley said Trump was "72 hours into the diagnosis now," even though Trump announced his positive COVID-19 test late Thursday evening. Conley said in the new statement that he meant to say "day three" into the diagnosis.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Saturday that he is postponing all floor activity through Oct. 19. However, hearings will still continue in a hybrid fashion, including the confirmation hearings for President Trump's Supreme court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, which are scheduled to begin on Oct. 12.

The bottom line: In the last 24 hours, three GOP senators have tested positive for the coronavirus bringing the Senate's Republican majority to 50-47. Despite their diagnoses, Senate GOP aides tell Axios that Republicans are still hoping to confirm Barrett before the election.

Republican officials tell us they worry that the number of infected people around President Trump will rise, and fear that enough senators could be sidelined to delay the Supreme Court confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

The state of play: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer began the pressure to slow the GOP's roll, tweeting: "We now have two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who have tested positive for COVID [Sen. Mike Lee and Sen. Thomas Tillis], and there may be more."

It's the storyline of a Republican nightmare: A mask-disdaining President Trump gets the coronavirus on the eve of the election, against a political backdrop that looks dire for Republicans.

Driving the news: Some top GOP operatives, privy to data from swing states, tell me that this week's chaotic presidential debate had a calamitous effect on Republican chances in tight Senate races.

Vice President Mike Pence will hold a MAGA rally in Peoria, Arizona next Thursday, following the campaign's plan to keep the VP on the road after President Trump tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday.

Why it matters: Pence, who tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday and reportedly again on Saturday, will likely be speaking to a large crowd that will not be socially distanced unless new guidelines are issued.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday after returning to Washington, D.C., on Sept. 29 and coming into contact with someone who had contracted the virus, spokesperson Ben Voelkel said in a statement on Saturday.

Driving the news: Johnson is the third Senate Republican to test positive for the coronavirus, after news broke that President Trump tested positive early on Friday.

President Trump's campaign manager Bill Stepien tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday and plans to quarantine until he recovers but will continue to control the campaign remotely, Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the campaign, confirms to Axios.

Why it matters: Stepien's diagnosis, which comes 32 days before Election Day, is yet another blow to the president's reelection efforts and was revealed the same day that Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel tested positive for COVID-19.

President Trump is undergoing antiviral remdesivir treatment "in consultation with specialists," according to a Friday night memo from White House physician Sean Conley.

Where it stands: "I am happy to report that the President is doing very well. He is not requiring any supplemental oxygen," Conley wrote.

Former counselor to President Trump Kellyanne Conway said in a tweet on Friday night that she has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing a mild cough while beginning a "quarantine process in consultation with physicians."

Why it matters: Conway was present at the White House last Saturday to watch Trump introduce federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The Census Bureau said Friday it will continue its count through Oct. 31 as ordered by a federal judge, and not the end of next week as it previously indicated.

Driving the news: The statement came one day after U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said the Census Bureau, as well as the Department of Commerce violated her Sept. 24 injunction order "in several ways" and "a flood of emails to the Court and the parties suggests ongoing non-compliance in the field."

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said in a statement Friday evening that he tested positive for the coronavirus, writing: "I’m following the recommendations of my doctor. Thankfully, I have no symptoms and feel well."

Why it matters: Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was at the White House last Saturday to watch President Trump introduce federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Tillis also met with Barrett at the Capitol on Sept. 30.