It's Brian Lehrer, and this is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios.

It's Monday, April 20th.

If you watch much cable TV on Saturday or Sunday or even listen to more sober outlets,

you probably saw a lot of attention

paid to President Trump supporting protesters in various states who are congregating, sometimes

less than six feet apart, to protest stay-at-home orders and demand a partial reopening now.

On Friday, the president tweeted,

Liberate Minnesota, liberate Michigan, liberate Virginia. Now, those are all swing states

for November, of course, and they all have Democratic governors to make villains out of.

At his Friday briefing, the president referred to social distancing, not as a medical necessity,

but as something to be politically mocked.

It's Mike Pence, who's a phenomenal guy, is making the commencement address right now

at the Air Force Academy, where they're being very politically correct. Everyone's standing,

not six feet, but ten feet apart, okay?

Called it very politically correct.

That was Friday's briefing.

Last night he was praising social distancing,

so he's giving mixed messages to what political end I'm not exactly sure.

And by reading too much about this during what used to be called my weekend,

I came upon evidence that these protests

are not as straightforward as a grassroots movement springing up among people who have lost

their jobs and want to avoid poverty. For example, do you know who Stephen Moore is?

...