海角大神

Debate over, the motorcade sped back to Nashville International Airport and discharged the most powerful man in the world.听

鈥淢r. President, Mr. President!鈥� reporters called out, as he and the first lady strode past us from a distance, on their way to Air Force One. President Donald Trump stopped, looked toward the press pool gathered under the wing, and pointed toward the back of the plane.听

We knew what that meant: President Trump was probably going to come back, mid-flight, and talk to us 鈥� the small group of reporters traveling with him in the plane鈥檚 aft cabin 鈥� on the way back to Washington.听

And indeed he did. The nearly half-hour visit was mostly off the record, which means I can鈥檛 report what he said, except for the on-the-record portion 鈥� about his intention to vote in person in Florida last Saturday (which he did). But as I wrote in my 鈥減ool report鈥� to the larger press corps, the president was 鈥渃hatty, even ebullient鈥� during our time with him late last Thursday night.听

Mr. Trump鈥檚 post-debate tweets explained the happy mood. One, from the conservative site The Blaze, had him the debate 96% to 4%. Another thanked former Fox News commentator Megyn Kelly for 鈥淭rump won this debate, handily.鈥澛�

Remember, Mr. Trump had attacked Ms. Kelly for her performance as a debate moderator in 2015, leading to by some conservatives.听But that was so five years ago.听

Now, eight days until Election Day, the end of one weird presidential campaign is in sight. Vice President Mike Pence鈥檚 office is now the epicenter of a new wave of COVID-19 diagnoses at the White House, yet the vice president is still holding rallies, 鈥渋n consultation with the White House Medical Unit,鈥� .听

In addition, the White House is planning a ceremony this evening to swear in Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, following her expected confirmation. The event will recall her Rose Garden introduction last month as the nominee, after which several participants were diagnosed with the coronavirus 鈥� including the president himself.听聽

Mr. Trump is continuing to campaign around the country at a break-neck pace, while Democratic nominee Joe Biden 鈥� leading in the polls 鈥� plays it more cautiously.听

Former President Barack Obama, breaking precedent with past ex-presidents who typically lie low in campaigns, has hit the trail on behalf of his former vice president. But instead of recalling the large, adoring crowds he used to summon when he ran for himself, he鈥檚 presiding over with honks replacing cheers.

And despite rising virus case loads across the country, the White House continues to mock the former vice president for wearing a mask.听

鈥淭he only person waving a white flag [on the virus] along with his white mask is Joe Biden,鈥� White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters Monday.

Mr. Meadows was responding to questions about a remarkable statement he had made over the weekend to CNN鈥檚 Jake Tapper 鈥� that 鈥渨e鈥檙e not going to control the pandemic.鈥� On Monday, Mr. Meadows elaborated: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to defeat the virus; we鈥檙e not going to control it,鈥� he said,聽聽鈥渨e need to make sure that we have therapeutics and vaccines.鈥澛�

At least Mr. Meadows isn鈥檛 press shy, as some chiefs of staff can be. Last Thursday, on Air Force One, he came back to the press cabin for a quick hello 鈥� wearing a mask, we were pleased to see. After we landed in Nashville, a maskless Mr. Meadows sought out the pool to tell us that Mr. Trump had tested negative for COVID-19 during the flight, a welcome bit of news. Mr. Trump has yet to say if he was tested for the virus the day of the first debate, Sept. 29.听

The oddest moment of all last Thursday came while the press pool was cooling its heels in a hotel conference room, while Mr. Trump was meeting with supporters.听

Word came that Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller was going to bring one of the president鈥檚 debate guests to talk to the pool. It was Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Mr. Biden鈥檚 son Hunter. He had emerged as a figure in the ongoing saga of Hunter Biden鈥檚 supposedly abandoned laptop, and the effort by the Trump campaign to portray the Biden family 鈥� including the former vice president himself 鈥� as corrupt.听

At the appointed hour, Mr. Bobulinski entered the room, placed three cell phones on a chair in front of him, and read from a prepared statement. His聽聽was that Joe Biden was lying about his knowledge of his son鈥檚 business venture in China, and he had evidence to prove it (contained in the phones). But Mr. Bobulinski would not take questions, saying he was about to present his evidence to the FBI and to key senators.听

Joe Biden has denied any involvement in his son鈥檚 business and has released two decades of tax returns with detailed financial information. And the mainstream media have been , questioning the authenticity of the evidence.

In the waning days of this weirdest of campaigns, it may not matter. The dominant story is the pandemic and its economic impact.