The White House plans to hold a ceremonial swearing-in event for Amy Coney Barrett, who is expected to be confirmed to the US Supreme Court Monday night, John Santucci reported for ABC News Sunday night:
NEW – White House is working on hosting an outdoor event for a ceremonial swearing in of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court that could come late tomorrow night after her expected confirmation tomorrow by the Senate, senior administration sources tell @ABC News w/ @KFaulders
— John Santucci (@Santucci) October 26, 2020
The White House had no scheduling announcements to provide, and President Trump’s public schedule ends with him returning to the White House at 7:40 p.m. after a day of campaigning in Pennsylvania. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows says a ceremony is likely, and some US Senators have reportedly received invitations already.
The administration’s last public event for Barrett, held on the White House lawn exactly one month ago Monday, is now widely regarded as a superspreader event that accompanied an outbreak of coronavirus infections in people in Trumpworld, including the President, his wife, Melania Trump, and their son Barron.
Over the weekend, at least five aides to Vice President Pence have tested positive, the Washington Post reports. Pence plans to preside over the Barrett vote, the Post says. “We are not going to control the pandemic,” Meadows told CNN this weekend, a statement that appears to signal the federal government is surrendering to the pandemic. The average number of new Covid-19 cases in the US is up 32 percent over the past two weeks, and deaths are up 12 percent.
“When I go someplace, part of my calculus is how will I get out of there if I see things that aren’t safe, how will I leave?” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference Monday. “For all you know, you could be packed at a Rose Garden event with somebody sitting next to you hacking. Are you going to get up to leave in the middle of the President’s remarks?”
When someone asked Bowser what it felt like to see a potential repeat of the Rose Garden superspreader event, the mayor replied, “I would throw that question out to DC residents and voters. What does it feel like to see people flout scientific evidence and common sense?”
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
