The President continues his purge of government officials who expose corruption, the Trump campaign uses a kitchen sink strategy to define Joe Biden, Barack Obama reminds us of what a normal president sounds like, and House Democrats pass an economic relief bill with some defections. Then Senator Sherrod Brown and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Connie Schultz talk to Jon L. about Senate negotiations over the next stimulus bill, and what it’s like to quarantine together.

Show notes

Trump: Desperate and Dangerous

• NYT: A Sitting President, Riling the Nation During a Crisis
• NYT: Trump Ousted State Dept. Watchdog at Pompeo’s Urging; Democrats Open Inquiry 
• WaPo: Trump ramps up retaliatory purge with firing of State Department inspector general 
• CBS News: Trump fires State Department watchdog Steve Linick
• WSJ: Some Republicans Object to Trump’s Ousting of State Department Watchdog 
• Politico: Ron Johnson ‘not crying’ over Trump’s firing of State Department watchdog 
• The Guardian: Pelosi: Trump firing of Steve Linick could be ‘unlawful if it’s retaliation’
• NYT: Inspector General’s Firing Puts Pompeo’s Use of Taxpayer Funds Under Scrutiny 
• NPR: Democrats Launch Probe Into Trump’s Firing Of State Department Inspector General
• WSJ: Congressional Democrats Launch Probe of Trump’s Ousting of State Department Watchdog
• Politico: Watchdog’s dismissal puts Pompeo on the hot seat
• The Hill: Trump and Biden signal bitter general election with latest attack ads 
• Politico: Navarro ties Obama, Biden and China together in coronavirus attack
• Buzzfeed News: Eric Trump Said Coronavirus Shutdowns Are Part Of A Plot To Prevent Trump Campaign Rallies
• NYT: Donald Trump Jr. Smears Biden With Baseless Instagram Post
• NYT: ‘Geriatric,’ ‘China’s Puppet’: Trump Campaign Unleashes Ads Attacking Biden
• The Hill: Trump campaign launches ads questioning Biden’s age, fitness
• NYT: A Sitting President, Riling the Nation During a Crisis
• The Guardian: Trump campaign focuses fire on Biden as pandemic undermines strategy 
• Axios: The next front in Trump’s Biden attacks
• WaPo: Faced with a Trumpian barrage of attacks, Joe Biden chooses to look the other way
• CNN: Cornered by the coronavirus, Trump returns to a familiar strategy: Attack Obama 
• NBC News: Donald Trump’s attacks on Joe Biden risk blowing back on him
• Vox: A sexual assault allegation hasn’t hurt Biden’s poll numbers — yet
• Politico: ‘Not a perfect messenger’: Trump campaign goes all-in on Biden sexual assault allegations
• WaPo: Faced with a Trumpian barrage of attacks, Joe Biden chooses to look the other way
• NBC News: Biden campaign says voters will reject ‘desperate’ Trump strategy
• CNN: Here are the two groups of voters who may determine 2020
• AP: Obama criticizes virus response in online graduation speech
• NYT: Obama Says U.S. Lacks Leadership on Virus in Commencement Speeches
• WaPo: Obama criticizes nation’s leaders for bungled handling of coronavirus pandemic 

Heroes Act

• NYT: House Passes $3 Trillion Aid Bill Over Republican Opposition
• WaPo: House Democrats pass $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill despite Trump’s veto threat
• Vox: The House just passed its latest $3 trillion coronavirus stimulus package
• The Hill: The 14 Democrats who broke with their party on coronavirus relief vote
• Roll Call: Meet the lawmakers who bucked their parties on the Democratic coronavirus response bill
• Politico: House approves $3 trillion coronavirus relief package
• Roll Call: As House Democrats push virus relief bill, GOP candidates pounce
• Politico: Pelosi moving swiftly on $3 trillion relief plan despite Dem gripes
• Bloomberg: Democrats’ $3 Trillion Aid Bill Has Seeds for Eventual GOP Deal
• NBC News: Pelosi: ‘No red lines’ for bill to help struggling state and local governments 
• Politico: Congress nowhere close to a coronavirus deal as unemployment spikes
• WSJ: Stimulus Talks: How Democrats, Republicans, Trump Split on Coronavirus Bill 
• CNN: Republicans say Senate likely won’t vote on next big Covid response bill until after Memorial Day