At 3:00 PM Eastern, Donald Trump is going to address the nation again on coronavirus. Considering that his previous address was apparently created at the last minute, using ideas from Steven Miller and Jared Kushner while ignoring the advice of medical professionals, a do-over isn’t exactly a bad idea. On the other hand, since it is Donald Trump, the chances that he’s going to back off his previous statements and institute any actually helpful policy seem remote. And since Trump has spent the morning tweeting out attacks on Joe Biden and the genuinely appropriate action that was taken to the contain H1N1 flu outbreaks under the Obama administration, it seems even less likely that Trump is going to take positive steps.
It’s almost certain that he will talk about how his is the best response to a “foreign virus” ever, that he has the best team possible even though he fired the actual experts in any related subjects months ago, and that everything is going super—even though members of his own team have admitted that testing efforts have been a failure, and international authorities are calling the U.S. response a disaster.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 8:47:05 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
So … conclusion?
- Trump takes no responsibility for anything.
- Trump simply lies about the 2009 H1N1 outbreaks.
- Google is making a web site.
- Trump declares national emergency, but seems to do nothing that couldn’t have been done without that.
And Trump says he … may actually get tested. Sometime. Soonish. They’re working on that.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:17:24 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
With Trump now 15 minutes late and counting, here are some points that Dr. Anthony Fauci made earlier today:
"It’s certainly going to get worse before it gets better"
"The crisis will last for ... possibly two months or more"
"Complete shut down like in Italy and China is not off the table."
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:28:36 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
The reporters are getting restless. In addition to reading out how increasingly late Trump is, statements overheard include “Someone go in there and get him. Bring him out. Tell him we're ready."
But hey, looks like he’s not going to talk before the markets close after all.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:32:00 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
And Trump is up … “several decisive actions” and immediately starts going to how “incredible” his response was including the “closing of the borders” that never happened. Trump brags about closing the border with Europe … which we don’t have.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:34:19 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Trump now moving to the placing blame portion of the program by complaining about rules that were in place slowing him down.
And now … national emergency declared. I’m glad I’m not actually transcribing this because … not good.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:36:55 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
“Broad new authority” to HHS Secretary Azar for “maximum flexibility.” Ability to “waive laws” for “tele-health” … waive laws on license requirements. waive laws on critical access, admission to long term care facility … some of these are so badly phrased, and Trump is doing so many asides, that I can’t really tell what they mean.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:39:29 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Announcing private partnerships for testing.
“But we don’t want people taking a test if … we don’t feel like they should be doing it. They should only be taking it if they have … certain symptoms.” Trump says this will make 5 million tests available “in a month” but “I doubt we’ll need them.”
Trump says Google is developing a web site to help “determine if a test is warranted.”
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:44:55 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Dr. Deborah Brix comparing the speed with which this test was developed to that of the HIV test in 1980—during a time when there was no genetic sequencing and years were spent even trying to isolate the virus. She does not compare it to the H1N1 test developed in a single week in 2009.
She also brags that the new test has a “positivity rate” 1 or 2 % lower than the WHO test … but offers no evidence that it’s more accurate.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:47:49 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
And now we’re hearing from the CEOs of Walmart and Walgreens and Target, because they’re offering up parking lot space for drive through testing. When there is drive through testing — which isn’t to be used by everyone.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:51:53 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Clear that Trump is looking at this now as an opportunity to clear out those “old rules” that were developed just to protect people’s health and privacy. And … it’s still CEO-apalooza time. This is absolutely ridiculous.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 7:55:53 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Trump finally saying that he doing something else — waiving interest on student loans. And he’s instructed the Secretary of Energy to fill the strategic reserve … and somehow believes this is cool because “we’re buying it at the right price.” Which might make more sense if the strategic reserve wasn’t already full.
Oh, cheese, Mike Pence “this day should be an inspiration to all Americas.” Every single statement is starting with an ode to Trump and his greatness. This level of ass kissing should definitely only happen in private.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 8:05:38 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Trump: “Some of the doctors say that it will wash through, and it will flow through … very interesting terms, and I think you will find that it’s very accurate. … We will get through this together. We will just … get through it.” Trump again brags on how many great things he’s done “especially when you compare it to other places.”
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 8:09:41 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Trump says he and Ivanka aren’t going to take a test. Says Belsanaro was negative.
Trump asked if he takes responsibility for the failing on test. Trump: “No, I don’t take responsibility at all.” Blames “the rules we were given.”
Because Trump never takes responsibility for anything.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 8:12:03 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Trump now talks about “the swine flu” saying they didn’t do testing like this. Says it was “a disaster” that it was “a very big failure” and “they didn’t do testing like this.”
The truth — the CDC issued test kits within two weeks of the first case being detected. Over a million people were tested.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 8:22:29 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Fauci asked about when the outbreak will peak. Says it’s impossible to say. “These kind of things usually run out in a few months.”
Brix is asked if anything is being done to secure more respirators. Talks again about tests showing about 1% positives … as if that’s a good thing. The answer is … she doesn’t have an answer. However, Trump says “We’ve ordered a large number of respirators.” But apparently we don’t know that number.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 8:28:27 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Trump asked if closing the pandemic office had an effect. Calls it a “nasty question” says he doesn’t know anything about it. An astounding level of blame-dodging.
We have “40 people right now, 40 … compare that to other countries.” 40 deaths, Trump means by that. Again says that closing the borders was the key — though experts say that depending on flight restrictions was not only ineffective, but sets up failures by making it seem that an action has been taken, when it hasn’t.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 8:31:37 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Trump asked about exposure at Mar-a-lago. Says he doesn’t need to be tested because he “wasn’t traveling back from somewhere.” Then Trump appears to say that it’s fine to travel around the country without concern … the best thing that can be said is that he was so vague in his response, that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
Friday, Mar 13, 2020 · 8:34:23 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Trump again claims that anyone who a doctor wants to get tested can get tested, throws Pence out there for the nonsense answer of “scale” being the issue. “authorizing” tests isn’t the issue. Having tests is the issue.
Trump’s previous address generated nothing much other than a ratcheting-up of fear. It took just 10 minutes of Trump robotically plodding through a plan that was more about using the virus as an excuse to ramp up xenophobia than it was about measures to protect the public health to send the stock market plummeting and remind Americans that there is no hand on the tiller.
What will Trump say on Friday afternoon? It could be further restrictions on travel. It could be promises of tax cuts for corporations. Most likely it will be a declaration of a national emergency, allowing Trump to leverage the Stafford Act to give more power to FEMA and the Department of Defense in coordinating the response to novel coronavirus. If that’s the extent of it … good. But Trump may also try to use those emergency powers in ways that have nothing to do with protecting the public from the current pandemic.