Axios

White House physician Sean Conley said in a memo released Thursday that he believes President Trump will be able to safely return to public engagements Saturday, or day 10 of the president's coronavirus illness.

Why it matters: The memo disclosed some of the president's vitals, including heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate, but it did not answer open questions regarding Trump's condition, such as his last negative test or whether he sustained lung damage from the virus.

Nearly 58 million people watched the vice presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence on television on Wednesday night, according to Nielsen ratings, making it the second most-watched VP debate in TV history.

Why it matters: The debate was the first major political event since President Trump was diagnosed with coronavirus last week. It featured two candidates that could theoretically be asked to step in for their bosses if elected, incentivizing viewers to watch.

The paradoxes of Trumpism were on full display Tuesday. Over the course of the day, Trump agreed with Fed chair Jay Powell that the need for fiscal stimulus is urgent, requested that Congress fund a new round of stimulus checks — and, at the same time, instructed his Treasury secretary to cease all negotiations on Capitol Hill and put off any stimulus until after the election.

The latest: As Axios' Alayna Treene and Jonathan Swan reported Thursday, Trump phoned House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and indicated he was worried by the stock market reaction and wanted a "big deal" with Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Joe Biden again declined to say Thursday whether he would support expanding the Supreme Court if he wins the presidency and Democrats win the Senate, telling reporters that they'll find out when the election is over.

Why it matters: Some congressional Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have suggested expanding the court if Senate Republicans confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett during an election year — which they refused to do for former President Obama's nominee in 2016.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) will introduce legislation on Friday to establish a 25th Amendment commission to assess the president's mental and physical capacity to hold office, according to a news release.

Why it matters: The legislation, coming as Trump is still recovering from COVID-19, is largely symbolic as it is highly unlikely the Republican-majority Senate will even consider the bill.

Within a day of tweeting that he was calling off bipartisan talks for a coronavirus stimulus deal, President Trump phoned House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and indicated he was worried by the stock market reaction and wanted a "big deal" with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, per two sources familiar with the call.

What we're hearing: Trump was spooked after seeing the instant drop in the stock market and intense backlash to his tweet, and he has since directed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to push for a more comprehensive relief bill before the election.

White House communications director Alyssa Farah declined to tell reporters when President Trump last tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday, saying that "the doctors would like to keep it private."

Why it matters: It marks at least the eighth time since Trump tested positive for the virus one week ago that White House officials have refused to disclose the information. The detail could help determine when he contracted the virus, who he exposed and the timeline of his illness.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attacked President Trump for his positions on extremist groups and called for national unity in an address Thursday, following news that the FBI thwarted an alleged plot to kidnap her and violently overthrow the state government.

What she's saying: The governor, who was the target of protests by right-wing groups for implementing strict coronavirus restrictions, acknowledged she "made tough choices" to protect the state from the pandemic, but insisted "we are not one another's enemies."

The New England Journal of Medicine yesterday published the first political editorial in its 208-year history, arguing that America's leaders have bungled the response to COVID-19, leading to unnecessary death and economic hardship.

Axios Re:Cap goes deeper with Eric Rubin, an immunologist and infectious disease expert who serves as NEJM's editor-in-chief.

Six men have been charged in an alleged plot to violently overthrow the government and kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed Thursday. Seven other men linked to the militia group Wolverine Watchmen were charged by Michigan's attorney general for plotting to attack the state Capitol building.

Driving the news: Whitmer responded to the thwarted operation in an address on Thursday, calling for national unity and criticizing President Trump for his failure at the first presidential debate to explicitly condemn extremist groups. Hate groups heard Trump's comments "not as a rebuke, but as rallying cry, as a call to action," Whitmer said.

Joe Biden will appear at a town hall event hosted by ABC News and moderated by George Stephanopoulos in Philadelphia on Oct. 15, the network announced on Thursday.

Why it matters: The second presidential debate was set for Oct. 15 until President Trump, and then Biden, backed out on Thursday. Trump first refused to attend the debate after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that it would be held virtually, and Biden indicated that that he too would skip it if Trump would not show.

The Washington, D.C. Department of Health on Thursday asked attendees and White House staff at the Rose Garden celebration for the introduction of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Sept. 26 to seek medical advice and get tested for COVID-19 by their local health department.

Why it matters: The outbreak tied to the White House contributed to an increase in the District's caseload. D.C. experienced a 26% increase last week, rising from some 40 new cases per day to about 50.

The full 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday blocked a lower court's ruling that extended the deadline for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin to Nov. 9 as long as they are postmarked by the Nov. 3 election.

Why it matters: The ruling, if it stands, is a win for Republicans who had sought to curb the amount of time allowed to count ballots in this decisive battleground state. Wisconsin is expecting 2 million absentee voters due to the pandemic.

Elliott Broidy, the former deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, appears set to plead guilty to conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent by lobbying the Trump administration to drop an investigation into the massive Malaysian embezzlement scheme 1MDB, according to a court filing.

Why it matters: Broidy is the latest 2016 Trump campaign associate to face criminal charges, joining former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, deputy chairman Rick Gates, chief executive Steve Bannon, adviser Michael Flynn, outside adviser Roger Stone and fellow deputy finance chairman Michael Cohen.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday told reporters in Kentucky that he hasn't been to the White House since Aug. 6 due to their handling of COVID-19 precautions.

What he's saying: "My impression was their approach to how to handle this was different from mine and what I insisted we do in the Senate, which was to wear a mask and practice social distancing," McConnell said.

After President Trump announced he would not participate in a virtual debate next week, Joe Biden's campaign released a statement Thursday that the former vice president would instead "find an appropriate place to take questions from voters directly."

The state of play: The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the town hall would be entirely virtual "for the health and safety of all involved" as Trump continues to recover from coronavirus.

Facebook said Thursday that it took down a coordinated inauthentic behavior campaign that was being run by Rally Forge LLC, a U.S. marketing firm working on behalf of pro-Trump student organization Turning Point USA and Inclusive Conservation Group, an organization that appeared to be focused on trophy hunting in Africa.

Why it matters: It's the most recent example of Facebook taking action on a group linked to fringe conservatives or conservative ideology for spreading misinformation or attempting to persuade public debate with fake accounts.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she would not agree to a standalone bill to assist the airline industry without a broader relief package that addresses public health, unemployment, and aid for state and local governments.

Why it matters: Despite Trump formally ending bipartisan negotiations for stimulus legislation via tweet on Tuesday, the president and his White House representatives were still hoping for a standalone airline bailout.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows hosted his daughter's 70-person indoor wedding in Atlanta in May, despite major coronavirus lockdowns and local ordinances blocking large gatherings, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported on Thursday.

Why it matters: Spring saw waves of Americans canceling major life events, including weddings and graduations. Meadows circumventing lockdown rules is sure to strike a chord with those who obeyed authorities and missed out.

President Trump, who continues to battle a coronavirus infection, told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he will not take part in a virtual second presidential debate, with his campaign later saying he would do two in person debates later on this month.

What he's saying: "I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. It’s not what debating is all about. ... It’s ridiculous," the president said.

The DNC War Room on Thursday will begin airing a new TV ad, "Had Enough?," that takes on President Trump's claim that his administration has done a "great job" on the pandemic.

The state of play: This is a six-figure buy in swing states and D.C. on both broadcast and cable.

Joe Biden is considering a special new White House office to coordinate and elevate global warming initiatives if he wins, Bloomberg reports (and a h/t to @CarbonBrief for flagging).

Why it matters: The story, and a similar Politico piece, show how Biden's team is thinking about how to organize his plans that would span a suite of agencies.

The exchanges on climate and energy in last night's VP debate broke no new policy ground but did offer a window onto the campaigns' political strategies as Joe Biden leads heading into the final weeks.

Why it matters: The topics are getting prime-time love in the debates in sharp contrast to prior cycles, and the chasm between the platforms is immense.

President Trump required personnel at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to agree to non-disclosure agreements in 2019 before he'd agree to be treated at the facility, per NBC News.

Why it matters: Trump sought coronavirus treatment at Walter Reed this weekend after his positive test on Thursday evening. But officials in the Trump administration and within Walter Reed offered conflicting information on the president's health, fluctuating between calling his symptoms "mild" and "very concerning."

Moderator Susan Page of USA Today asked an identically worded question to both candidates in Wednesday night's vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City: "In the case of Breonna Taylor was justice done?"

Why it matters: The answers vividly captured our two Americas.

Vice President Mike Pence described a world in which he and President Trump led Americans' heroic effort to defeat the coronavirus during last night's vice presidential debate. The problem is, he described a world that doesn't exist.

Why it matters: The coronavirus is very much not in control in the U.S., and America's failed response begins with the individual actions of the president and the vice president themselves.

Sen. Kamala Harris said at Wednesday's vice presidential debate that the Trump administration does not have a plan to protect health coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, looking into the camera and declaring: "If you have a pre-existing condition — heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer — they're coming for you.

Why it matters: The Biden campaign has consistently sought to make the Trump administration-backed lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act — which protects coverage for pre-existing conditions — a core election message, particularly as the U.S. continues to struggle to control the pandemic. Health care has been proven to be one of the issues that resonates most with voters.

Toward the end, the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City got personal — about President Trump, a reminder of what this election will ultimately come down to.

Sen. Kamala Harris flashed back to last week's raucous presidential debate, arguing that Trump's "stand back and stand by" answer to a question about white supremacists "is part of a pattern."

Sen. Kamala Harris tore into President Trump at the vice presidential debate on Wednesday over his public comments and alleged private comments disparaging military service members.

Why it matters: Last month's report in The Atlantic alleging that Trump called service members "suckers and losers" sparked massive backlash. The president has vigorously denied all aspects of the report.

Vice President Pence called out Sen. Kamala Harris at Wednesday's vice presidential debate for refusing to answer whether Democrats would add more justices to the Supreme Court if they win the White House and Senate.

Why it matters: A number of Democrats have proposed court packing as a response to Republicans rushing to confirm a conservative Supreme Court justice with less than a month until the election. Biden has previously said he opposes court packing, but has repeatedly ducked questions about it recent weeks — including at last week's presidential debate.

Sen. Kamala Harris at Wednesday's vice presidential debate denied Vice President Pence's claim that Joe Biden would ban fracking if elected.

Why it matters: Pence's claims that a Biden administration would "abolish fossil fuels," "ban fracking" and implement the Green New Deal are part of the Trump campaign's efforts to paint the Biden-Harris ticket as a symbol of the far left.

The No. 2 Marine general, Gary Thomas, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, a day after he and other senior military leaders began quarantining due to possible exposure to the virus.

Driving the news: Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military leaders, including Thomas, entered quarantine after Adm. Charles Ray, vice commandant of the Coast Guard, tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, per the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said Wednesday the U.S. would cut its number of troops in Afghanistan to 2,500 by early 2021, per Reuters.

Details: "When President Trump took office, there were over 10,000 American troops in Afghanistan," O’Brien said at a University of Nevada, Las Vegas, event. "As of today there are under 5,000 and that will go to 2,500 by early next year."

Vice President Pence defended the White House's decision to hold a large event in the Rose Garden to introduce Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett at Wednesday's vice presidential debate, noting that it was outdoors and "many people" were tested for the coronavirus beforehand.

Why it matters: Multiple people who attended the event later tested positive for the virus, including President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, multiple aides to the president and two Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Kamala Harris opened the vice presidential debate on Wednesday by condemning the White House's response to the coronavirus pandemic as "the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country."

Why it matters: The pandemic is the single most dominant focus of the debate and the election, especially now that President Trump himself has contracted COVID-19. Harris used the moment to hammer Vice President Pence for heading a government response that has seen over 210,000 Americans die from the virus.

The Trump campaign is quickly turning what was expected to be a buttoned-up vice presidential debate into a TV spectacle.

Why it matters: The stakes are much higher tonight. President Trump’s positive COVID diagnosis is a stark reminder that the VP isn’t just an understudy waiting in the wings. With both presidential candidates in their 70s, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris' roles are more important than ever.

The Trump administration filed an emergency application to the Supreme Court Wednesday in an attempt to stop the census count early, after a federal judge ordered that it continue through Oct. 31, the Economist first reported.

Driving the news: A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration's request earlier Wednesday to end the count early, after U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction in San Jose, California, allowing the head count of every U.S. resident to continue through the end of October.