Boston Public Radio

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President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday, and was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for monitoring on Friday. Homeland security expert Juliette Kayyem spoke with Boston Public Radio on Monday about how the rest of the world views the news of Trump contracting the coronavirus. “What our enemies are looking at are unbelievable unforced error at this stage, that basically here is a country already on its knees and now a White House that has failed to protect itself,” she said. “It goes against the narrative of the United States’ ability to beat the virus, since Trump could not keep it out of his own home.” Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett discussed Friday’s news that President Trump has been diagnosed with COVID-19, and a concerning rise in coronavirus infections throughout Mass. Gergen Barnett is the vice chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation and residency director in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. We opened lines to talk with listeners about news that Donald Trump has contracted coronavirus. CNN analyst Juliette Kayyem weighed in on the president’s COVID diagnosis, and the national security risks it poses to the U.S. and elsewhere abroad. Natalie Jennings, editor of the Washington Posts’ “The Fix,” offered the updates around President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis, and discussed what’s currently known about the health of those in the president's inner circle. Beat the Press host Emily Rooney discussed the media’s reaction to news of Donald Trump’s COVID diagnosis, and questions about White House transparency. She also previewed Friday’s episode of Beat the Press. Medical ethicist Art Caplan talked about President Trump’s poor track record of transparency on issues around his own health, and the public’s right to know about the wellbeing of politicians representing them. Under the Radar host Callie Crossley talked about her reaction to Friday’s news that the president and his wife have contracted COVID-19, what she thinks about speculation from callers that the president isn’t being truthful about his diagnosis, and news of rising rising coronavirus infections across the Commonwealth. Closing out the show, we returned to listeners to get your impressions of President Trump’s COVID diagnosis.

Medical ethicist Art Caplan, speaking on Friday's Boston Public Radio, said that while it isn’t uncommon for presidents to conceal critical information about their health and wellbeing, Donald Trump has an ethical responsibility to be fully transparent about his own physical standing, following Friday’s news of a COVID-19 diagnosis. “Look, it’s an election time. We wanna know who we’re voting for,” Caplan said. "Is he failing, is he doing okay?" "It’s also important to know who else they might’ve exposed, in terms of people like Joe Biden,” he added. “Are we gonna have another debate? And if so, how would that be arranged? A list of questions goes on and on and on.” Caplan said the president’s reputation for misrepresenting himself has meant some voters are hesitant to trust his word, leading to confusion and occasional conspiracy-theorizing. “We don’t have any independent mechanism to getting – if you will – trustworthy information, because it’s so politically filtered,” he explained. Caplan is the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Chair, and director of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine.

Juliette Kayyem called into Friday’s Boston Public Radio to reflect on news that President Trump has contracted the coronavirus. “Trump needs an out,” she said while weighing in on whether the diagnosis might signal his political demise. “It can’t possibly be that America didn’t vote for him, so it’s that 'the voting was rigged’ or whatever.” “Maybe this is his out... maybe this is the way in which he says ‘but for the COVID, I would’ve been able to rally everyone and won.' Maybe this doesn’t end with a fire burst, but a sort of whimper under a virus.” Kayyem also offered insight into what President Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis could signal for the country's national security, and security elsewhere abroad. Juliette Kayyem is an analyst for CNN, former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and faculty chair of the homeland security program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We opened lines to talk with listeners about President Trump’s sympathy for the Proud Boys, and how his open racism is impacting your relationships with friends and family on the other side of the political spectrum. Boston City Councilor and mayoral candidate Andrea Campbell discussed why she’s chosen to enter race for mayor of Boston, and weighed in on a series of local issues, from the so-called “digital divide,” to pushes for citywide police reform. Former Suffolk County Sheriff and Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral discussed Suffolk County DA Rachael Rollins’ release of a list of of 136 Boston-area police officers with “questionable credibility,” new developments in the case around the killing of Breonna Taylor, and her take on Tuesday’s presidential debate. NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd discussed Tuesday’s chaotic debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, and how he thinks it could impact voters ahead of the election. He also touched on why he doesn’t expect Biden or Trump to back away from future debates. Greater Boston Food Bank President and CEO Catherine D’Amato discussed need for further government assistance in order to help feed struggling communities through the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflected on what her organization is doing to serve the growing number of Mass. residents who are food-insecure. Brattle Book Shop proprietor and “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser Kenneth Gloss talked about his newest business venture: helping people curate their bookshelves for Zoom backgrounds. He also touched on the "Brattlecast" podcast, and how much he misses the regulars who’d visit his shop in Downtown Boston. Tech writer Andy Ihnatko discussed a new feature on Twitter that prompts users to read articles before re-tweeting them, a new Google smartphone feature that'll wait on hold for you, and advancements in internet privacy features. Closing the show, we opened lines to talk with listeners about your thoughts on robotic pets.