news from Whoopi and Biden's doctor

Whoopi Goldberg surprises herself by not blaming Trump for the Texas floods (as if we should care what she thinks), and Joe Biden's doctor pleads the Fifth to avoid incriminating himself by testifying about Joe Biden's physical condition.

Headline (probably paywall):

Whoopi Goldberg ‘Shocked’ To Report That Texas Flooding Is NOT Trump’s Fault
"It's important, I think, for everyone to understand — and I'm shocked that this is coming out of my mouth."

“The View” host Whoopi Goldberg was shocked to admit that President Donald Trump is not at fault for the massive flash floods that have devastated central Texas, killing more than 100 people when the Guadalupe River rose some 26 feet in about 45 minutes.

Goldberg, who still refuses to speak Trump’s name aloud on the ABC midday talk show, actually stepped in to stop cohost Joy Behar when she pointed the finger at the president during Tuesday’s broadcast.

Cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin addressed those who were attempting to politicize the flooding, claiming that President Donald Trump’s efforts to streamline the federal government — mainly through the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — had had a negative impact on the National Weather Service’s ability to accurately predict the floods and warn residents in time.

“I think after action reports are really important but politicizing and pointing fingers is not the answer,” Griffin said.

“Yeah, but Trump does it all the time. He immediately — he immediately starts the blame game,” Behar objected. “So maybe Ms. Leavitt should talk to her boss.”

[ ... ]

Goldberg jumped into the conversation, saying that she believed people should have been more prepared simply because that particular area was prone to flash flooding and had flooded quickly in the past. She argued instead that any failures were at the state level rather than the federal level.

“It’s important, I think, for everyone to understand — and I’m shocked that this is coming out of my mouth. I’m not pointing a finger at the man in the White House,” Goldberg said. “I’m saying there’s a state that is in trouble and has been. And it doesn’t seem like anything is changing. And maybe we need to get on top of that.”

Headline (probable paywall):

‘It’s Now Clear There Was A Conspiracy’: Biden’s Doctor Pleads The Fifth As GOP Probes ‘Cover Up’
"The American people demand transparency but Dr. O’Connor would rather conceal the truth."

Former President Joe Biden’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, pleaded the Fifth during a closed-door deposition before Congress on Wednesday.

The interview, part of an investigation into Biden’s mental state and whether he authorized the use of autopen signatures for major executive actions, lasted roughly an hour on Capitol Hill.

In a statement, O’Connor’s attorneys told House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and the other members of the Oversight Committee that their client would not violate his oath of confidentiality to his patients, including Biden. They also insisted that a “pending” Department of Justice criminal investigation left O’Connor “no choice” but to assert his Fifth Amendment rights.

Comer, who had subpoenaed O’Connor to testify, confirmed that the witness declined to cooperate.

“It’s now clear there was a conspiracy to cover up President Biden’s cognitive decline after Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician and family business associate, refused to answer any questions and chose to hide behind the Fifth Amendment,” Comer said in a post on X.

“The American people demand transparency but Dr. O’Connor would rather conceal the truth,” Comer added. “Dr. O’Connor took the Fifth when asked if he was told to lie about President Biden’s health and whether he was fit to be President of the United States. Congress must assess legislative solutions to prevent such a cover-up from happening again. We will continue to interview more Biden White House aides to get the answers Americans deserve.”

O’Connor’s deposition took place after Trump waived his executive privilege, which also happened for former White House Staff Secretary and Director of the Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden, who testified for several hours last month and denied there was an effort to cover up Biden’s condition. Other former Biden aides are expected to testify before the House Oversight Committee in the coming weeks.

According to the above article, Dr. O'Connor took the Fifth after being asked whether he'd been told to lie about Biden's health and fitness to be president. This is not the same as asking directly about Biden's health and fitness for office. Dr. O'Connor claims he took the Fifth to protect doctor-patient confidentiality, but based on what the article says, the question he was asked had nothing to do with revealing anything about Biden's condition: he was asked whether he'd been told to lie—a question he could have safely answered without revealing anything about Biden. So there's something bogus about taking the Fifth in this case.

For my non-American readers: the expression "to take the Fifth" or "to plead the Fifth" refers to a citizen's Fifth Amendment right not to reveal anything that might incriminate him- or herself. Here's the text of the Fifth Amendment. The relevant portion: "...nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself." As you see, though, the Fifth Amendment guarantees a lot more than that, from due process on down. As a slang term, to take/plead the Fifth means not to admit something or simply to be silent about something.