The White House has flouted public health advice on the coronavirus, drawing harsh criticisms from experts who fear the administration is sending the wrong message. 

Even as cases surge in Oklahoma, President TrumpDonald John TrumpProtesters tear down, burn statue of Confederate general in DC US attorney in NYC who spearheaded probes of Trump allies refuses to leave as DOJ pushes ouster Trump to host 4th of July event despite pleas from lawmakers to cancel MORE is moving forward with an indoor rally in Tulsa on Saturday, despite guidelines against holding such large gatherings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Trump and Vice President Pence have mostly brushed off the rising numbers of cases in states across the country, largely attributing them to increased testing.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a Gray TV interview earlier this week, Trump said the number of cases in Oklahoma was “very minuscule,” and the virus was “dying out.”

In fact, Oklahoma has reported more than 1,100 new cases in just the past four days, with record high numbers twice in a week.

Experts fear Trump’s dismissal of rising case numbers and the dangers of large gatherings gives the public the message that the virus is no longer a threat, and puts the country at risk of prolonging the crisis.

“The consistent theme has been inconsistent messaging,” said Howard Koh, former assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services under President Obama.  

“It just leads to public doubt and confusion, which weakens the chances of a coordinated national response,” added Koh, who now teaches at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Trump and Pence have signaled a desire to reopen the country, and cheered governors for moving quickly despite states not meeting the CDC guidelines for reopening. 

In comments this week, both have signaled a desire to declare victory over the virus, and paint a picture of life returning to normal.

ADVERTISEMENT

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said he chose Oklahoma as the spot for his rally because of how well officials have responded to the virus.

“It’s like, very few people. And I think they’re in great shape. But I would even say the spike ends, has already ended,” Trump said. 

Oklahoma had one of the lower infection rates earlier this spring, when the virus was ravaging states in the Northeast and West Coast. Yet ever since Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) began widely reopening business in April, the state has been reporting record-high daily case numbers.

Experts fear the rally has the makings of a “super spreader” event, with tens of thousands of people standing shoulder to shoulder indoors, shouting and chanting.

The Trump campaign has said that each attendee will receive a temperature check and be offered hand sanitizer and a mask at the door to the arena, though there is no requirement to wear a mask. 

Updated CDC guidelines released last week urged the organizers of large gatherings to require the use of face coverings among staff, and to “strongly encourage” masks among attendees.  

Amesh Adjala, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, said the administration’s efforts to portray everything as normal “make it very hard for someone who’s not an expert to understand what actually is the truth.”

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany this week dismissed health concerns about the rally and said anyone attending will assume a “personal risk.” On Friday, she said she will not wear a mask. 

“It’s a personal decision,” McEnany said. “I am tested regularly, I feel that it is safe for me not to be wearing a mask.”

Increasing evidence shows the effectiveness of masks at reducing the spread of the coronavirus, but they have been turned into a political flashpoint and part of a larger culture war. 

Even when the CDC and top public health officials like Anthony FauciAnthony FauciFauci and Birx advised Trump against holding Tulsa rally: report Overnight Health Care: Trio of states report record-high COVID-19 case counts | Oklahoma coronavirus cases spike just ahead of Trump rally | Trump blasts health adviser: ‘Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football’ White House dismissal of COVID-19 concerns draws criticism MORE, the federal government’s leading expert on infectious diseases, urge people to wear masks and avoid crowded, indoor events, that message gets blurred when it becomes political, Adjala said. 

Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at Duke University, said important public health messaging can be undercut by just one or two prominent individuals who are in opposition to it.

Wearing a mask and practicing physical distancing is “such an easy visual message, and yet when that is not demonstrated by people in either public health or political leadership positions, that just takes the wind out of the sails of folks in public health who are otherwise struggling to send that message,” Wolfe said. 

In the West Wing, masks are no longer required, just a month after the administration first put the policy in place after two White House staffers tested positive for COVID-19. Officials also routinely ignore physical distancing recommendations during public appearances.

ADVERTISEMENT

Last week, Pence, tweeted — then deleted — a photo of himself greeting dozens of Trump 2020 campaign staffers, all of whom were standing next to each other, inside, and not wearing masks. 

When President Trump signed an executive order on policing this week, law enforcement guests were standing next to him on all sides, not wearing masks. 

Pence also regularly visits restaurants when traveling, highlighting local businesses in newly reopened states. He does not usually wear a mask during these stops, even though he’s indoors. 

But the messaging on public health from Trump and Pence is often at odds with lawmakers in their own party.

Masks have become the norm in the House and Senate, even among GOP members. Only a small, but vocal, minority of House Republicans have consistently refused to wear them. 

In the Senate, a recent GOP press conference on police reform featured everyone in masks. 

And Sen. James LankfordJames Paul LankfordWhite House dismissal of COVID-19 concerns draws criticism Republicans brush off Bolton’s bombshells Bipartisan Senate group offers bill to strengthen watchdog law after Trump firings MORE (R-Okla.) on Friday said in an interview on CBS that he will wear a mask at Trump’s rally.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

 

 

Attorney General William BarrBill BarrUS attorney in NYC who spearheaded probes of Trump allies refuses to leave as DOJ pushes ouster Barr echoes Trump’s concerns about mail-in voting, says it could ‘open the floodgates of potential fraud’ Mueller report re-released with fewer redactions after legal battle MORE filed a statement of interest Friday defending Idaho’s law that bans transgender female athletes from competing in women’s sports.

In the statement, Barr referred to transgender women as “biological males” and says that allowing them to compete in women’s sport leagues is “fundamentally unfair to female athletes.”

In March, Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) approved legislation to prohibit sex changes on birth certificates and ban transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports leagues. Civil rights groups promptly filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Barr wrote that under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, Idaho is allowed “to recognize the physiological differences between the biological sexes in athletics.”

“Because of these differences, the Fairness Act’s limiting of certain athletic teams to biological females provides equal protection,” he wrote. “This limitation is based on the same exact interest that allows the creation of sex-specific athletic teams in the first place — namely, the goal of ensuring that biological females have equal athletic opportunities. Single-sex athletics is rooted in the reality of biological differences between the sexes and should stay rooted in objective biological fact.”

The ban applies to all teams associated with or sponsored by public schools, colleges and universities and cites “different athletic capabilities” between men and women. It is set to be enacted on July 1. 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has argued that the state law is unconstitutional, citing violations of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause and the Fourth Amendment’s protections against invasions of privacy. 

The ACLU also argues that the law opens the door for any women to be probed about their gender, potentially in the form invasive genital and genetic screenings.

The pilot in the January helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his young daughter and several others erroneously reported that the aircraft was climbing and may have been disoriented, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Hundreds of pages of documents related to the NTSB’s analysis of Bryant’s accident were released Wednesday and indicate that the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was attempting to avoid cloud cover when he crashed into a California hillside.

“During the final descent the pilot, responding to [communications from air traffic control], stated that they were climbing to four thousand [feet],” the report reads.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Calculated apparent angles at this time show that the pilot could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles,” it adds.

The documents also include photos and reconstructions of the crash scene, but NTSB officials warned that a final conclusion on the crash should not yet be drawn.

“The docket contains only factual information collected by NTSB investigators; it does not provide the final report, nor does it contain analysis, findings, recommendations, or probable cause determinations. As such, no conclusions about how or why the crash occurred should be drawn from the information within the docket. Analysis, findings, recommendations, and probable cause determinations related to the crash will be issued by the NTSB in a final report at a later date,” reads the NTSB’s news release.

Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant is suing the helicopter rental company, Island Express, as well as the owner of the vehicle for negligence over the Jan. 26 crash that killed her husband and daughter, Gianna, as well as seven others. The rental company has denied responsibility.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department announced Friday that they will provide data regarding which businesses borrowed money from the taxpayer-funded Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) after previously saying the names of the firms would not be released.

The disclosure will apply to companies that received loans of more than $150,000 from the program. Firms that got less than $150,000 will not have their names revealed. 

“We value transparency and our fiduciary responsibility to ensure American taxpayer funds are used appropriately. This responsibility goes together with the steps we are now taking to provide needed public information while protecting entrepreneurs’ personally identifiable information, such as a home address associated with their business loan,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza.

ADVERTISEMENT

The announcement comes after weeks of negotiations with members of both parties in Congress who clamored for more transparency over how PPP funds were disbursed. The arrangement appears to mark an agreement that will disclose the names of most, but not all, loan recipients. 

“I am pleased that we have been able to reach a bipartisan agreement on disclosure which will strike the appropriate balance of providing public transparency, while protecting the payroll and personal income information of small businesses, sole proprietors, and independent contractors,” said Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinTreasury Dept. to disclose details on small business loan recipients On The Money: Treasury, SBA to disclose small business loans of 0K and above | Apple closes stores in states with spikes in coronavirus cases | Artists call on Congress to help club and concert venues during pandemic Our economy is only as strong as our small business community MORE.

The Trump administration has flip-flopped over PPP transparency — the SBA initially said earlier this year that it would release “individual loan data,” but Mnuchin pushed back on that in a Senate hearing this month, saying that business names and loan amounts would remain hidden because the administration considered them proprietary.

The Navy will not reinstate the fired commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier following an investigation of leadership’s handling of a coronavirus outbreak onboard in March.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday said on Friday that the service will uphold its firing of Capt. Brett Crozier, who was removed from his post after a letter he wrote pleading for help with the outbreak leaked to the media.

“He will not be reassigned nor will he be eligible for future command,” Gilday told reporters at the Pentagon. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The Navy will also place a hold on the promotion of Rear Adm. Stu Baker, the one-star commander of Carrier Strike Group 9 and the senior officer onboard the Roosevelt at the time of the COVID-19 outbreak, Gilday said.

Both men will be able to remain in the Navy though it’s likely the saga will put an end to their careers.

The Navy’s decision to stand by Crozier’s firing is an about face from April, when a preliminary investigation recommended that the captain be reinstated.

A wider investigation, started in April after the preliminary probe, then led Gilday to conclude that “Capt. Crozier and Adm. Baker fell well short of what we expect of those in command.”

“Had I known then what I know today, I would have not made that recommendation to reinstate Capt. Crozier,” Gilday said. “Moreover, if Capt. Crozier were still in command today, I would be relieving him.”

Top Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement later on Thursday that Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite briefed Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: Navy won’t reinstate fired captain | Dems probe use of federal officers in DC | Air Force appoints woman as top noncommissioned officer Navy won’t reinstate fired captain Dems request watchdog probe use of federal law enforcement in DC during Floyd protests MORE on the finished investigation, which he believes “to have been thorough and fair and supports the Navy’s decisions based on their findings.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The wrapped investigation marks the end of a contentious few months in the Navy, which came under fire for its handling of the pandemic after an outbreak aboard the Roosevelt forced it to dock in Guam.

Crozier prior to the ship docking wrote a letter to Navy leadership, leaked in the media, in which he warned of dire consequences if most of the crew on board the Roosevelt wasn’t evacuated.

“We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die,” Crozier wrote. “If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our sailors.”

Crozier was then swiftly fired by then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who argued that while Crozier may not have been wrong to write the letter, he sent a copy to too many people, failing to ensure it wasn’t leaked to the media.

Video then emerged on social media of Crozier getting a hero’s sendoff from his crew, with hundreds gathered on the ship to applaud and cheer his name.

Modly responded to the incident by traveling to Guam to give a speech aboard the Roosevelt where he called Crozier “stupid” or “naïve,” prompting him to later resign and apologize.

The Roosevelt would remain in Guam for two months and more than 1,000 sailors would be diagnosed with COVID-19. One sailor died from the virus.

In the wider investigation, completed by Adm. Robert Burke, the Navy backs Crozier’s swift departure, saying that the captain did not quickly or forcefully enough “execute the best possible and available plan,” to protect sailors from the illness.

“When faced with barriers . . . Capt. Crozier waited for others to act rather than doing what we expect of our commanding officers – to take immediate and appropriate action and to drive outcomes,” the report states.

The probe also found that Crozier was not solely responsible for the ship’s slow response to the quickly spreading virus, as Baker also did not take necessary steps to fix the issue.

Gilday stressed that Crozier was not let go due to the leaked email, as the captain did not intend such an outcome, rather, the email was “unnecessary,” as actions were already underway to dock in Guam and remove sailors at the time the message was sent.

Moreover, Crozier and Baker failed to move sailors off the ship quickly and put the crew at higher risk by releasing stricken sailors from quarantine in a manner that “put his crew at higher risk.”

Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoPompeo slams Bolton account as spreading ‘lies,’ ‘fully-spun half-truths’ and ‘falsehoods’ Senior State Dept. official resigns in response to Trump’s handling of protests Bolton book shows nastiness rules at Trump White House MORE chastized former White House national security adviser John BoltonJohn BoltonBolton asks court to dismiss DOJ suit, citing failure to state a claim Pompeo slams Bolton account as spreading ‘lies,’ ‘fully-spun half-truths’ and ‘falsehoods’ McCarthy slams Bolton book, says it’s a national security risk MORE on Thursday, saying reported episodes from his upcoming book are untrue. 

In a statement released via email Thursday with the subject line, “I Was In The Room, Too,” the secretary said Bolton is “spreading a number of lies, fully-spun half-truths, and outright falsehoods.”

“It is both sad and dangerous that John Bolton’s final public role is that of a traitor who damaged America by violating his sacred trust with its people,” Pompeo said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“To our friends around the world: you know that President TrumpDonald John TrumpOklahoma venue management asks Trump campaign for health plan ahead of rally Pompeo slams Bolton account as spreading ‘lies,’ ‘fully-spun half-truths’ and ‘falsehoods’ Twitter flags Trump tweet featuring fake CNN chyron as ‘manipulated media’ MORE’s America is a force for good in the world,” he added.

Copies of Bolton’s book, “The room where it happened,” were obtained by The Hill and multiple media outlets ahead of its publication next week and detail the former official’s tumultuous 18 months in the administration.

Bolton also describes in detail his interactions with senior Trump administration officials, including Pompeo, painting a picture of a secretary of State who disparages the president in private but panders to him in public.

In one episode, Bolton said Pompeo showed him his notepad where he wrote that the president “is so full of shit,” during a summit with North Korea in Singapore.

Bolton’s account also alleges that President Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help him win the 2020 election and described the president as “stunningly uninformed” and solely driven in his decision making for publicity that he could use for his reelection.

Happy Tuesday and welcome back to On The Money. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at slane@thehill.com or tweet me @SylvanLane. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: slane@thehill.com, njagoda@thehill.com and nelis@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

ADVERTISEMENT

THE BIG DEAL—Fed chief: Full recovery from recession ‘unlikely’ until coronavirus contained: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told lawmakers Tuesday that a full recovery from the pandemic-driven recession is “unlikely” until Americans no longer fear contracting COVID-19 despite recent strong economic data.

In his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, the Fed chief warned that the U.S. economy will continue to suffer as long as the coronavirus lingers.

“Recently, some indicators have pointed to a stabilization, and in some areas a modest rebound, in economic activity. With an easing of restrictions on mobility and commerce and the extension of federal loans and grants, some businesses are opening up, while stimulus checks and unemployment benefits are supporting household incomes and spending,” Powell said.

“That said, the levels of output and employment remain far below their pre-pandemic levels, and significant uncertainty remains about the timing and strength of the recovery,” he continued. “Until the public is confident that the disease is contained, a full recovery is unlikely.”

Signs of recovery: Powell’s appearance before the Banking Committee comes after a series of surprisingly strong economic data has boosted hopes of a quicker-than-expected rebound from the recession caused by COVID-19.

• The U.S. added 2.5 million jobs in May as 2.7 million workers returned from temporary layoffs to stores that had recently been allowed to reopen, according to the Labor Department.
• Retail and food service sales also surged by 17.7 percent in May as states slowly peeled back restrictions imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19.

May’s rebound in hiring and consumer spending has fueled hopes that the U.S. has already reached the nadir of the pandemic-driven economic collapse. But Powell has consistently warned that the unprecedented scale and speed of the downturn, along with its unique toll on the most vulnerable Americans, will take months if not years to reverse.

ADVERTISEMENT

I have more on Powell’s appearance here.

Read more: Retail sales soar 17 percent in May after pandemic-driven April plunge

On tap tomorrow

• U.S. Trade Representative Robert LighthizerRobert (Bob) Emmet LighthizerGOP senator warns quick vote on new NAFTA would be ‘huge mistake’ Pelosi casts doubt on USMCA deal in 2019 Pelosi sounds hopeful on new NAFTA deal despite tensions with White House MORE testifies before the House Ways and Committee on the Trump administration’s 2020 trade agenda at 10 a.m.
• Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies before the House Financial Services Committee during a virtual hearing on the bank’s semi-annual monetary policy report at 12 p.m.
• The House Small Business Committee holds a virtual hearing entitled “Paycheck Protection Program: Loan Forgiveness and Other Challenges” at 1 p.m.
• U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on the Trump administration’s 2020 trade agenda at 3 p.m.

LEADING THE DAY

Congress set for fight over expiring unemployment relief: Congress is under pressure to extend expiring unemployment benefits as COVID-19 infections continue to rise in some states and as jobless rates remain at levels not seen in decades.

The expanded benefits included in March’s CARES Act helped tens of millions of workers get through coronavirus-related lockdowns but are set to go away in August.

• Republicans object to continuing to add an extra $600 to weekly benefits for all unemployment recipients, noting that it could make unemployment more lucrative than working for a large percentage of recipients. That, they say, could provide a disincentive for people to return to work as the economy reopens.
• But Democrats are worried that cutting or reducing the benefit would leave poor people without a safety net.

The Hill’s Niv Elis and Naomi Jagoda explain here.

The background: 

• Lawmakers agreed to increase weekly unemployment benefits by $600 across the board in the CARES Act because that amount is the difference between the average weekly wage and the average weekly state unemployment benefit.
• Some Republicans have been criticizing the boost as too generous since before the CARES Act became law. The $600 per week increase is currently scheduled to expire on July 31, and its fate is set to be one of the key questions facing lawmakers and the administration when they negotiate a subsequent coronavirus relief package.

The danger: A Friday report from the Federal Reserve noted that recipients could find themselves in a dire situation without the expanded benefits.

“The supplementary UI [unemployment insurance] will end this summer. At that point, it will be difficult for many families to meet their financial commitments — rent, food, utilities, and other payments — if the economic downturn continues and the benefits are not renewed,” the report said.

The proposals: 

• GOP lawmakers also say that the economy has been improving, requiring a different approach to unemployment benefits. “States are reopening, employment recently turned positive, and we need to shift our focus to helping people safely return to work, making sure businesses are able to come back quickly and put the country back on a path to economic growth,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyOn The Money: Fed chief says full recovery from recession ‘unlikely’ until coronavirus contained | Congress set for fight over expiring unemployment relief | CBO: COVID-19 emergency bills will add .4 trillion to deficit GOP divided in fight over renaming bases Congress set for fight over expiring unemployment relief MORE (R-Iowa) said during a hearing last week.
• But Democrats say that now isn’t the time to let up on federal assistance. House Democrats last month passed a bill that would extend the $600 weekly increase until Jan. 31.
• Lawmakers are also considering some type of “return to work” bonus that allows people to keep receiving some or all of the boost to unemployment benefits for a period of time after they start working again.

CBO: COVID-19 emergency bills will add $2.4 trillion to deficit: The four COVID-19 emergency relief bills passed in March and April will add a total of $2.4 trillion to the deficit, according to a new report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The latest figures show the bulk of the deficit increase coming from the CARES Act, the March bill that included stimulus checks, increases to unemployment insurance, forgivable small business loans, and other major supports for business. 

• That law alone accounted for $1.72 trillion in deficit increases expected over a decade.
• Behind that was the April law extending the small business loans program, called the Paycheck Protection Program, which CBO estimated would add another $483 billion to the deficit.
• The two earlier bills, which focused on the health care response and expanding paid leave, cost $8 billion and $192 billion, respectively.

Niv breaks it down here.

GOOD TO KNOW

• The IRS on Tuesday alerted nursing homes that coronavirus stimulus checks generally belong to residents and cannot be seized by these facilities.
• Stocks posted major gains on Tuesday after data showed retail sales jumped by a record last month.
• The U.S. fell in the Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness ranking — an annual report on the world’s economies — for the second consecutive year.
• Giving to U.S. charities in 2019 reached one of its highest levels on record, according to a report’s findings announced Tuesday that provide a look into the giving landscape prior to the coronavirus crisis.
• Lawmakers in both chambers are looking for ways to assist the energy industry as the economic fallout hits fossil fuels and renewables alike.
• The European Commission said Tuesday that it is launching two investigations into Apple’s App Store and Apple Pay regarding whether the company is violating the European Union’s (EU) competition rules.

U.S. fighter jets for the second time this week intercepted two formations of Russian military aircraft off the coast of Alaska, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a Wednesday statement.

F-22 Raptors, backed by KC-135 aerial refueling tankers and an E-3 early warning aircraft, intercepted two Russian bomber formations in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone Tuesday night, according to NORAD.

The first formation consisted of two Russian Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets and an A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft, while the second had two bombers and an A-50. Both came within 32 nautical miles of the Alaskan coast but did not enter U.S. airspace, NORAD said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Moscow’s aircraft are increasingly flying closer to U.S. airspace, which extends 12 nautical miles off American shores.

The two Russian formations on Tuesday were identical to those that came close to the Alaskan coast last week. In that instance, the formations came within 20 nautical miles of Alaskan shores, the closest in some time.

In March and again in April, the U.S. military also intercepted Russian aircraft that got within 50 nautical miles off the coast.

“For the eighth time this year, Russian military aircraft have penetrated our Canadian or Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zones and each and every time NORAD forces were ready to meet this challenge,” NORAD commander Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy said in the statement.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, NORAD constantly monitors the northern approaches to our nations and our operations make it clear that we will conduct homeland defense efforts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”

Former White House National Security Adviser John BoltonJohn BoltonBolton asks court to dismiss DOJ suit, citing failure to state a claim Pompeo slams Bolton account as spreading ‘lies,’ ‘fully-spun half-truths’ and ‘falsehoods’ McCarthy slams Bolton book, says it’s a national security risk MORE asked a federal court to dismiss the Justice Department’s (DOJ) effort to block the publication of his memoir Thursday evening.

In the Thursday night motion, lawyers for the former Trump official asked the court to dismiss the case for failure to state a claim, calling the DOJ effort a “regrettable pretext designed to cover up what is in fact a determined political effort to suppress Ambassador Bolton’s speech.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The Trump administration filed an emergency application Wednesday asking for a restraining order to block publication of the book, “The Room Where it Happened”, currently set to be released on June 23.

The White House has insisted Bolton’s White House memoir contains classified information.

“To be clear: Defendant’s manuscript still contains classified information, as confirmed by some of the Government’s most senior national-security and intelligence officials,” the DOJ said in its memorandum supporting their argument.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Disclosure of the manuscript will damage the national security of the United States.”

“The type of classified information in these passages is the type of information that foreign adversaries of the United States seek to obtain, at great cost, through covert intelligence,” Director of National Intelligence John RatcliffeJohn Lee RatcliffeBolton asks court to dismiss DOJ suit, citing failure to state a claim DOJ seeks temporary restraining order blocking Bolton book release Hillicon Valley: Report finds CIA security failures led to massive breach | Pelosi calls on advertisers to pressure social media giants | Experts warn firms facing serious cyber threats in COVID-19 era MORE wrote in a signed declaration accompanying the application.

Bolton’s book, a copy of which has been obtained by The Hill, contains numerous explosive allegations concerning Trump, including that Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jiping for help to win reelection and that he sought to intervene in criminal investigations of companies with ties to Turkey and China to curry favor with their respective leaders.

The pilot in the January helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his young daughter and several others erroneously reported that the aircraft was climbing and may have been disoriented, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Hundreds of pages of documents related to the NTSB’s analysis of Bryant’s accident were released Wednesday and indicate that the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was attempting to avoid cloud cover when he crashed into a California hillside.

“During the final descent the pilot, responding to [communications from air traffic control], stated that they were climbing to four thousand [feet],” the report reads.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Calculated apparent angles at this time show that the pilot could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles,” it adds.

The documents also include photos and reconstructions of the crash scene, but NTSB officials warned that a final conclusion on the crash should not yet be drawn.

“The docket contains only factual information collected by NTSB investigators; it does not provide the final report, nor does it contain analysis, findings, recommendations, or probable cause determinations. As such, no conclusions about how or why the crash occurred should be drawn from the information within the docket. Analysis, findings, recommendations, and probable cause determinations related to the crash will be issued by the NTSB in a final report at a later date,” reads the NTSB’s news release.

Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant is suing the helicopter rental company, Island Express, as well as the owner of the vehicle for negligence over the Jan. 26 crash that killed her husband and daughter, Gianna, as well as seven others. The rental company has denied responsibility.