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Jose Garcia

(2,551 posts)
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 01:18 PM Jul 2020

Trump national security adviser O'Brien tests positive for coronavirus

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Mosby (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - U.S. national security adviser Robert O'Brien has become the highest ranking official in President Donald Trump's inner circle to test positive for the coronavirus.

Announcing the infection on Monday, the White House said in a statement there was no risk of exposure to Trump or Vice President Mike Pence.

The announcement caught some White House staff off guard, as there had not been an internal memo about it, one source said. Because of the regular testing regimen, White House officials do not reliably wear masks while working in the West Wing.

An administration official said O'Brien had not had contact with the president in several days. The National Security Council did not immediately respond to questions about O'Brien, who was working from home.

Read more: https://news.trust.org/item/20200727140344-dkmrl



I guess that you-know-who is going to have to up his dosage of hydroxychloroquine.
10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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sandensea

(21,526 posts)
1. If Cheeto goes AWOL for any more than five days, he's got it
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 01:21 PM
Jul 2020

They'll deny it of course - but who could doubt it at this point.

SWBTATTReg

(21,856 posts)
2. And of course the rump WH denied that rump was affected by the natl security advisor testing...
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 01:37 PM
Jul 2020

positive ... some DUers said it was because rump doesn't do a damn thing in the WH (and this example proves it). Just how often does rump even meet w/ the NSC? Does he even meet w/ them on any basis? Just what the f**k does rump do in the WH besides play on that stupid cellphone all damn day and golf?

wnylib

(21,146 posts)
3. You just solved a mystery for me, I think.
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 01:52 PM
Jul 2020

With so many people around Trump testing positive, I kepp wondering why he hasn't had it yet. But, not doing anything or meeting with any one person for long periods of time would account for him not getting it.

SWBTATTReg

(21,856 posts)
5. Yeah, perhaps but to be honest w/ you, I think that he has a very good chance of having ...
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 02:12 PM
Jul 2020

the CV, and ignoring it at his peril. They call him the super spreader and I wouldn't be surprised.

wnylib

(21,146 posts)
6. His age and poor health would make him
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 02:17 PM
Jul 2020

a prime candidate for a severe case if he did get it, so I don't believe he can be just a carrier and spreader.

riversedge

(69,706 posts)
7. May 2, 2020: Robert O'Brien "conspicuously out of sight" in the administration's efforts to fight C
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 02:27 PM
Jul 2020

O'Brien is as useless as Trump

X-posted



Robert O'Brien "conspicuously out of sight" in the administration's efforts to fight COVID. Rather than helping to lead the response, he delegated responsibilities to top aides and bypassed task force meetings.



?s=20


https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/02/politics/robert-obrien-national-security-adviser-coronavirus-out-of-sight/index.html


Trump's national security adviser out of sight in coronavirus response


Kylie Atwood

By Vivian Salama and Kylie Atwood, CNN

Updated 9:30 AM ET, Sat May 2, 2020


In this October 23, 2019, file photo, national security adviser Robert OBrien listens as President Donald Trump speaks about Syria in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House.
In this October 23, 2019, file photo, national security adviser Robert OBrien listens as President Donald Trump speaks about Syria in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House.

Washington (CNN)As President Donald Trump deals with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, he is without a key asset that has served many of his predecessors well during times of crisis: a bold, proactive national security adviser who can flag early threats and ensure the government is focused on combating them, current and former National Security Council officials tell CNN.
Robert O'Brien, Trump's fourth national security adviser, has been conspicuously out of sight in the administration's efforts to fight the coronavirus. Rather than helping to lead the response, he has delegated responsibilities to top aides and even bypassed coronavirus task force meetings.
In a rare, in-depth interview, O'Brien acknowledged to CNN that he's been out of sight from many public events at the White House, but he pushed back on any notion that he's absent, saying he meets with Trump almost daily to discuss the virus and is in constant contact with foreign allies to coordinate the response.

He did say the administration, as well as much of the world and scientific experts, took time to grasp the severity of the threat.


"Initially, no one understood the magnitude of this crisis," O'Brien said.


Still, several current administration officials tell CNN there is a growing sense inside the West Wing that O'Brien, a former lawyer and hostage negotiator, is out of his depth in the job and that his desire to keep a low profile inside a prickly White House has undermined his influence with the President -- to the point of irrelevance.



As the head of the National Security Council inside the White House, it's up to the national security adviser to sift through reams of intelligence from across the government in order to flag potential threats to the President early on, and in times of crisis to coordinate a government-wide response


Instead, O'Brien has taken a back seat in the coronavirus response, and tasked his deputy Matthew Pottinger to take the lead. Well-placed sources inside and outside the administration tell CNN that O'Brien's low-key approach was particularly problematic during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, a period when, these sources say, he should have been far more aggressive in highlighting the threat of the virus, which was laid out in daily intelligence briefings long before the first American died of the disease. ................................

SWBTATTReg

(21,856 posts)
8. Thanks. Further evidence that the entire trump administration is MIA on all substantive issues.
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 02:37 PM
Jul 2020

Clearly shows just how incompetent rump is (and of course all underneath rump are cowards to not speak up and do their damn jobs).

A clear and present danger.

I hope when Biden gets in, that some serious thought be given to the fail safes that failed on all fronts to remove this incompetent PINO and in the future, preventing such an event from happening again. Politics is truly in the way of effective governing and I think all can see this if they are truly unbiased.

totodeinhere

(13,034 posts)
4. I hope he hasn't infected anyone else such as an elderly family member.
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 01:53 PM
Jul 2020

That's why I don't like to see anyone get it, even an asshole like him.

ffr

(22,644 posts)
9. Unfortunately, this is a duplicate LBN
Mon Jul 27, 2020, 03:11 PM
Jul 2020
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