The Lead with Jake Tapper

Congress deadlocked on new economic stimulus; Trump floats delaying election despite no authority to do so; Trump Campaign: Pres simply raising question of election security; Fauci warns virus resurgence is moving into Midwestern states; FDA could grant emergency use for vaccine in weeks after proven effective; Former CEO and presidential candidate Herman Cain dies from virus; Phillies cancel all...

U.S. hits deadliest day of the summer from coronavirus; Second Republican set to meet with Trump today tests positive; Trump targets suburban voters with repeal of housing rule; Trump admits he never discussed Iran bounties on U.S. troops with Putin; Trump had at least seven calls with Putin since intel on Russian bounty plot appeared in his daily briefing; Trump plans to pull 12k troops from Germ...

Biden slams Trump: A change of “tone” over a few days doesn’t change the facts of last four years; Biden: I will choose a running mate the first week in August; AG  Barr: Calls to defund police “grossly irresponsible”; Barr to Dems: Can you point to one Trump enemy I’ve indicted?; Barr: No reason to think 2020 election will be rigged; Nadler: AG Barr “aided and abetted” worst failings of Trump; Re...

Pres Trump’s national security advisor tests positive, WH: Trump not at risk; WH testing czar says U.S. not where it need to be; Trump won’t say if alleged bounties on troops came up in Putin call; 7-day average for new case at lowest level in 10 days; COVID-19 deaths on the rise in at least 29 states; Moderna begins first phase 3 clinical trial of vaccine in U.S., 30,000 adults expected to partic...

US daily death toll topped 1,000 for third straight day; Hospitalizations hitting levels not seen since April peak; Birx: surge in U.S. “very serious” like we’re seeing 3 New Yorks; CDC pushes for schools to reopen in new guidance; Critics claim the agency is being politicized; Birx and Fauci: unclear how severely young kids spread COVID-19; Average new case counts down or flat in at least half of...

Ex-FDA commissioner: U.S. could see 300,000 deaths; U.S. positivity rate rises as infections continue to spike; MLB returns tonight with no fans, handshakes or high-fives; U.S. timeline: Cases jump from 3 to 4 million in just 15 days, after taking 99 days to reach first million; Trump brags about passing test meant to detect early memory loss; Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV: What is Trump talking...

HHS Secy commits to free or affordable vaccines for all; 53 Florida ICU's at capacity despite Gov. downplaying surge; NFL to require fans to wear face coverings at games; Trump admits virus will get worse, finally endorses masks; Republicans split on plans for new stimulus package; WH counselor Kellyanne Conway says briefings are back because some states reopened "a little too quickly"; Cruz on GO...

Dr. Fauci on not attending today’s briefing with Trump; Dr. Fauci: As a whole, we need to improve testing; Dr. Fauci: I consider myself a realist rather than an alarmist; Dr. Fauci: I would not wait to see if one vaccine is better than another; Dr. Fauci: We should try “as best as we can” to get children back to school; 3 million more infections and 86K deaths since President Trump last held a cor...

Still no new national strategy as U.S. nears 141,000 deaths; Trump tweets photo of himself wearing a mask, calls it “patriotic”; Death toll up week over week in at least 20 states; WV governor: multiple outbreaks linked to seven churches; MO gov on schools: infected kids will “go home” & “get over it”; Source: white house objecting to more funding for CDC and for states to increase testing, contac...

AZ Doctor: People are fainting in line waiting for tests; CA Gov: Most counties shouldn’t have in-person school this fall; Moments ago: FL Gov says he won’t close gyms, says a healthy lifestyle will lead to lower coronavirus risk; Fauci: “Default” position should be to get kids back to school; Study: other coronaviruses may provide some immunity to COVID-19; Kellyanne Conway says Trump should resu...

Only two states seeing a decline in coronavirus cases; One month ago, Pence said “panic” over second wave “overblown”; Georgia governor bans all local mask mandates; Cases increase in 39 states, 9 states flat; only 2 declining; U.S. travel bans came too late for NYC according to CDC; Texas hotel being turned into hospital for non-coronavirus patients; Gov Cuomo tightens enforcement for NYC bars, r...

Trump backs away from attacking Dr. Fauci after advisor pens op-ed saying Fauci is wrong about Covid; Hospital data will now be sent to Trump admin instead of CDC; Alabama becomes the 36th state to require masks in public; Miami-Dade testing positivity rate at more than 30%; Walmart mandates masks at all stores starting next week; CA reports 2nd highest one-day increase in cases & deaths; New poll...

Trump in April: Cases going down, we hope to be under 100K deaths; 37 states increasing rates; 7 states flat; 6 states declining; More than 20 states pausing or suspending reopenings; Cuomo: U.S. will be “talking about” what NY did for “decades”; CDC Dir: Southern explosion in cases not because of re-opening; Adm. Giroir: U.S. “not there yet” but light at the end of this tunnel; Sen. Graham defend...

California gov. rolls back reopening plans, orders bars to close & ends indoor dining at restaurants; Study: after infection, coronavirus immunity could decline in months; Trump turns on Fauci as virus surges; Trump claims to have a good relationship with Dr. Fauci but doesn’t always agree with him; Trump retweets conspiracy theorist & fmr. Game show host falsely suggesting CDC is lying about coro...

Trump visits virus epicenter, but not to address pandemic; Trump and Fauci not speaking as pandemic worsens; Fauci “trying to figure out” Trump’s claim that 99% of COVID-19 cases are “harmless”; Trump says economy “getting back on track” as COVID crisis worsens; NY to help FL fight COVID-19, plans to send Remdesivir drug; FL Gov. Ron DeSantis defends state reopening as Fauci says states like Flori...

Dr. Fauci: States having serious problems should “look at shutting down” or pausing re-opening; Today: California & Florida set daily record for COVID deaths; Doctors raise alarm on testing backlog & lack of equipment; CDC Dir now says no changes to guidelines on opening schools; Florida reports single day record of 120 deaths; Trump loses financial docs fight, but ruling buys him time; Roberts, K...

CA gov: hospitalization rate up 44% over last two weeks; U.S. sets record of more than 60,000+ new cases Tuesday; Pence: "absolutely essential" to get kids back to school; Birx: states with surges should go back to Phase 1 guidelines; Trump says U.S. will be in "very good shape" in 2 to 4 weeks; CDC director defends guidance on reopening of schools after Trump calls them "very tough & expensive";...

Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for COVID-19 after months of downplaying and dismissing the virus; TX Gov. Abott warns Texas of “greater fatalities” in coming weeks; Miami Dade Co. hospitalizations up 90%, 86% of ICU beds filled; Florida orders schools to reopen despite coronavirus surge; San Francisco cases up 25%, indoor dining postponed; Trump’s niece: He paid someone to take S...

32 states increase in cases, 14 states steady, only 4 declining; At least ten states seeing record level of hospitalizations; Americans pack beaches, parties as infections surge in U.S.; Cuomo: New York shouldn’t get “cocky” & invite curve to go up; Austin mayor: 2 weeks away from hospital beds running out; Hospitalizations in Miami-Dade county up 88%; Record cases in Florida, Texas as some offici...

One study finds hydroxychloroquine helped coronavirus patients survive; COVID-19 cases, hospitalization rates rise in California; Growing fears holiday weekend will fuel surge in Cali cases; More California cities announce fines for face mask defiance; First U.S. clinical vaccine trial delayed; Florida leads nation in daily covid cases; another 9,488 reported today; Corpus Christi Mayor: Texans go...

NYT: Afghanistan businessman was middleman in Russian bounty scheme targeting U.S. service members; NYT: Afghan contractor served as middleman to pay Taliban; Dem Senator freezes military confirmations until Defense Secy confirms promotion for Lt. Col. Vindman; ICU manager: If you want to see Aug 1st, stay home July 4th; Herman Cain hospitalized with COVID-19; Attended Trump’s Tulsa rally; Florida...

CA gov. closes indoor activities for 19 counties on "watch list"; Pence meets with Arizona gov as cases surge there; U.S. sees 75% jump in daily cases from 2 weeks ago; Texas lt. gov: I don't need to hear from Dr. Anthony Fauci; 37 states increase cases, 11 flat, only 2 states declining; New study: deaths from COVID-19 could actually be 28% higher; Trump calls Russia bounty allegations a "hoax" de...

CDC Director urges younger generations to wear masks; Cases rising in 36 states; flat in 12 states; declining in only 2 states; NY, NJ, CT expand travel advisory to 8 more states; 17 states pause or change reopening plan as new cases surge; Texas bar owners sue Gov. Abbott over emergency order shutting bars back down amid surge in cases; Sources: Officials alarmed at Trump’s calls with leaders due...

46 states increase or flat in new cases, just 4 states declining; U.S. death toll tops 125,000 as cases continue to surge; CA Gov: state seeing 45% rise in positive tests over last week; Florida leads U.S. in new coronavirus cases; South Florida beaches to close July 4 weekend; Jacksonville mandates masks ahead of GOP convention; Arizona hospitals at nearly 90% capacity as cases surge; Arizona rep...

32 states increasing cases; 11 flat; 7 states showing a decline; Fauci: U.S. seeing “serious problems” in some areas; San Francisco delays reopenings scheduled for Monday; Gov advises Southern CA County to reinstate stay-at-home order; Source: Schism within coronavirus task force on issue of testing; Trump puts focus on protecting statues as U.S. hits COVID peak; Houston Mayor: Infection rate trip...