Live: Trump holds additional press conference on COVID-19 as first death in the U.S. is announced

Minutes ago, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that an American had died of COVID-19 in Washington state. This does not appear to be either of the two cases which were confirmed on Friday evening. More details are coming soon. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States now stands at 68 — 8 more than on Friday.

In the meantime, Donald Trump is about to appear for a second press event on the coronavirus after announcing the event on Twitter just over an hour ago. On Friday evening, Trump called the virus “the new hoax” at a political rally in South Carolina. As might be expected … Trump is late to the press event that he called.

The press event is now over. Other than applying a spit-polish to his miserable response, the only announcements were travel restrictions on Iran, which already existed, and advisories on travels to Italy and South Korea, which do nothing.

The full press conference is inside.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 6:53:04 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump starts off congratulating the negotiating team in Afghanistan. I hate to think that he’s getting out of Afghanistan as a distraction from an even bigger looming disaster … but at least we seem to be getting out.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 6:54:36 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump: “I guess I want to thank so much all the people in the United States, for having spent so much … in terms of blood … in terms of treasury ...”

That’s a genuinely odd way to phrase it. But Trump is still going on with the thanks and congrats for this. Pompeo got a shout out.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 6:56:04 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump reassures America that our remaining forces in Afghanistan will go on killing. So … don’t worry about that. Now Trump is talking about getting rid of “100% of ISIS.” 

All of this sounds like very much not wanting to talk about the topic at hand.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 6:57:05 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

This is very low energy Trump. Maybe someone told him that the sniffle-inducing uppers would be a bad idea for this event.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 6:59:32 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump finally begins talking about the corona … virus. 

Trump now says “we have 22 patients in the United States” which is still not close to right, before pulling back out the “15” who are “recovered or very close to recovered.” 

Trump: “Other cases are likely, but healthy individuals should be able to recover, if they contract the virus. So, healthy people, if you’re healthy … you’ll be fine.” 

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:00:35 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump now explaining how he “moved early” and his actions were “a life saver.” Says everyone agrees his decision was “a wise one” even though there “was a lot of opposition.”

Except, of course, there wasn’t.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:01:34 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump says his actions are “the most aggressive taken by any country.” Which is so … if you ignored everything everyone else has done.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:03:55 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump seems to be doing nothing here by trying to put a good spin on his actions to date … which is to be expected. But the slow, sloggy cereal pace of this is surprising. 

Pence is apparently going to get the job of explaining any bad news. 

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:06:51 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Pence just backdated the White House Coronavirus task force by two months. 

Travel restriction added on Iran … which wasn’t a thing anyway, dammit. Raising advisories to “specific regions” of Italy and South Korea. Which is also not a damn thing. 

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:08:37 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Everything that Pence announced was incredibly weak tea. There seems to be no reason for this press conference so far, other than to allow Trump to mumble his way through another attempt to apply some spin to the story.

Oh yes, and America has purchased a whole bunch of masks, says Trump. And you don’t need one, says Pence.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:12:28 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Azar gets his chance to talk to follow Pence in explaining how Trump, by doing very little, is doing so, so much. Also, remember that most people will be okay. But … not everyone, so “as we’ve always said.”

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:14:04 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

What has no one said here?

• No one has said that additional hospital beds are being planned.
• No one has said that the government will pick up the cost of testing.
• No one has expressed any concern for rural areas with little/no access to health care.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:16:24 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Absolutely the only steps they’re adding is a “travel restriction” on Iran, that does nothing. And two “advisories” to people traveling to Italy and South Korea.

That’s a remarkably weak response.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:18:25 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump says that Democrats are committing the “hoax” by … something … claims that Democrats are criticizing “these people.” Without naming a person, or an action.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:19:23 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump is asked if Fauci is being “muzzled.” Trump accuses reporter of asking a “very dishonest question.” Fauci says it was a misunderstanding of his withdrawing from some television appearances.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:20:31 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trumps says “we are strongly” looking at closing the southern border. Because … hell, who knows? Mexico has 3 recorded cases. The rest of Central America zero.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:21:39 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump again says he was using “hoax” about what Democrats were saying — and again doesn’t say what anyone said that was a hoax. 

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:24:53 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Fauci asked to give the facts about fatality — says about 75-80% of cases in China had symptoms of cold or flu. Another 15-20% needed hospital care. Says that most people who die from this will be at “advanced age” or have underlying conditions, but there will be some people who don’t fit that profile.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:26:26 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump using the “waiting for the IG report” on why he didn’t nominate Ratcliffe for DNI. Again. Even though the IG report came out weeks before Maguire was sacked.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:28:19 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump asked if he is considering taking measures similar to China. Trump seems super focused on the fact that Apple and Starbucks are open again there so … all good.

Trump praises Xi, and says he is considering some of the same measures, without specifying. Time to pull out those videos of people being dragged into quarantine.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:29:44 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump asked why he considering closing border with Mexico when there are more cases in U.S. than Mexico. This time Trump gives an answer that seems 180-degrees from his last answer.

Sluggish Trump has trouble remembering what he said five minutes ago.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:33:03 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump defending his Afghanistan deal and criticizing Bolton. This deal apparently ends with 8,600 American troops in Afghanistan to “kill terrorists.” Which is a funny end-state for something that’s “over.” For Bolton, it’s not enough boom boom.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:33:43 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump using this opportunity to complain about the Fed rate. Because what’s really needed at this morning is an an artificial injection of funds into the stock market.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:34:53 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Someone should suggest to Trump that the U.S. refinance its debt by buying German bonds and getting paid for it. 

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:39:43 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump asked about Pence’s HIV screw ups. Repeats his claims that Pence made Indiana a “health care leader.”

Pence takes over, to talk about MERS, where they had … a case. One case (1). That’s his big accomplishment.

Then there was the HIV outbreak, now Pence is saying that he was the one who ended the HIV outbreak in Indiana by giving people the needles … that he actually denied.

That Pence is playing up the MERS case, where the state did nothing but stand back and watch the CDC, is pitiful. But that Pence is inverting what actually happened in the HIV outbreak is criminal.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:40:44 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump cuts a reporter off who is asking about reassuring the nation … to begin talking about the stock markets, the consumers are so happy, etc.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:42:21 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump waves off a question about people getting prepared, because he is “super prepared.” 

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:43:32 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump says there will another press event “tomorrow or the next day.”

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:44:47 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

And that’s all, folks. Total chance in status, zip diddly.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 7:46:28 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Grim statistics here. The fact that at least half a dozen of the Iranians dead or suffering from #COVID19 are famous (clerics, prisoners, bigwigs in government) suggests that the total numbers are ENORMOUS https://t.co/6fe0RZEoRD

— Graeme Wood (@gcaw) February 29, 2020

PBS streaming coverage.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 6:38:06 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump has yet to appear. In the background of the stream you can hear reporters making their pitches on various networks, including one talking about Trump being the “master” of handling public opinion and shaping the political narrative. Guess who.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 6:41:02 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Statement from King Co. health officials.

Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 · 6:49:18 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Trump is now twenty minutes late for his own press conference, while a packed room of hopefully healthy reporters waits. Unclear if he’s cooking up some kind of face-saving maneuver or just undecided over whether to blame the death on Nancy Pelosi or Adam Schiff.