This is a Running Record of Trump & Company Statements and Actions. Hard to Believe, But It's All Real
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This is record of Trump and COVID-19 up through October 19, 2020. Later post are included in the column to the left.
Trump and the virus: 'Blood on his hands Remember, Trump said this on January 22 on CNBC: “It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” We now lead the world in infections and deaths. Pence, on April 24, says the pandemic will be 'largely' behind us by Memorial Day. From Obama: "The biggest mistake any [of] us can make in these situations is to misinform, particularly when we’re requiring people to make sacrifices and take actions that might not be their natural inclination. Speak the truth. Speak it clearly. Speak it with compassion. Speak it with empathy for what folks are going through," Now we need to tell Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil to SHUT UP! I love Oprah, but blame her for these fools. Click-We Blew It Click-The horror story of how the Trump administration has handled PPP loans (copyright The Washington Post) Click-GAO’s review of the federal response to COVID-19 12.17.20-Chris Hayes on Wednesday summed up Trump’s catastrophic handling of the coronavirus pandemic with a four-word epithet: “We want them infected.” Those are the same words that former Health and Human Services science adviser Paul Alexander, a Trump appointee, used in emails advocating for the Trump administration to pursue a herd immunity strategy during the public health crisis, Politico reported earlier in the day. “Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk….so we use them to develop herd…we want them infected…” Alexander wrote in his emails, per the news outlet. Hayes said the emails were “the smoking gun evidence” that showed “the very people at the center” of tackling the virus wanted COVID-19 to spread. “The thing to understand about that is it is not an accident, and it is not bungling,” Hayes said. “Trump, his administration as backed by Republicans in his party, in Congress, explicitly pursued a strategy that would lead to more Americans getting sick and more Americans dying, and they did this despite the fact they kept denying they were pursuing the so-called ‘herd immunity’ approach. It was always clear they were.” 10.19.20-This Week's Cover-Up-FAUCI SOUNDS OFF Dr. Anthony Fauci said the White House has been controlling when he can speak to the media. During a “60 Minutes” interview, he spoke more candidly than ever about his frustration around President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 response and getting involuntarily caught up in politics. “I certainly have not been allowed to go on many, many, many shows that have asked for me,” he said. He added that he was "absolutely not" surprised that the president got sick, saying: 10.17.20-Ths Week's Debunk-Erin Burnett on Friday debunked one of President Donald Trump’s most repeated and dangerous lies about the coronavirus pandemic — that the United States is “rounding the turn” on the public health crisis.Trump has publicly claimed “for months and months and months” that the outbreak is almost over, noted the host of CNN’s “Outfront.” But Burnett reminded viewers that there was currently “no end to the virus’ spread” as America is now entering a new peak of cases. COVID-19 has now killed more than 217,000 people nationwide and infected upwards of 8 million. “He’s been saying we’re rounding the turn for months and months and months and it hasn’t been true yet,” said Burnett, pointing to the more than 800 deaths that were reported Thursday and the fact that multiple states are now reporting record hospitalizations from COVID-19. 10.17,20-Trump Still Downplays COVID. In the past week, he has spread misinformation about the virus, undercut the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, and kept up his practice of shunning mask use. The effort to diminish the virus has gone into overdrive as Democrats try to frame the race for the White House as a referendum on Trump’s handling of the worst U.S. public health crisis in over a century. In word and action, he is pushing an optimistic outlook at a moment when coronavirus infections are spiking in Europe and public health officials are raising alarm that the infection rate in the U.S. is climbing toward a new peak. 10.13.20-This Week's Outrage-Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday that, yes, the Trump campaign ad that "butchered his words," as he put it over the weekend, should be taken down. "I think it’s really unfortunate and really disappointing that they did that," Fauci told CNN Monday, per the Hill. "It is so clear that I am not a political person, and I have never either directly or indirectly endorsed a political candidate. To take a completely out-of-context statement and put it in what is obviously a political campaign ad, I thought, was really very disappointing." 10.11.20-This Week's Insult-Trump has sparked a new wave of criticism over his treatment of members of the military after suggesting he may have caught the coronavirus from Gold Star families. The latest self-inflicted wound came when Trump said he thinks an event at the White House that honored families of slain service members could be the source of his COVID-19 infection. “I figured there would be a chance that I would catch it,” Trump said in a phone interview with Fox Business News host Maria Bartiromo on Thursday. “Sometimes I'd be with — in groups of — for instance Gold Star families. I met with Gold Star families. I didn't want to cancel that. But they all came in and they all talked about their son and daughter and father.” “And I can't back up, Maria, and say ‘Give me room, I want room, give me 12 feet, stay 12 feet away when you talk.’ They come within an inch of my face sometimes,” he added. “They want to hug me and they want to kiss me. And they do. And frankly, I'm not telling them to back up. I'm not doing it. But I did say it's like — it's obviously dangerous. It's a dangerous thing I guess if you go by the COVID thing.” None of the Gold Star families are known to have since tested positive as of Friday. Nor was it the first time Trump appeared to blame military-connected individuals for the White House outbreak. After close aide Hope Hicks tested positive at the beginning of the month, Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that “it’s very, very hard when you are with people from the military or from law enforcement.” “And they come over to you and they — they want to hug you, and they want to kiss you because we really have done a good job for them. And you get close, and things happen,” he said. After Trump’s Gold Star families comments, congressional Democrats pounced. “Can you believe that he would say such a thing?” she asked at her weekly press conference. 10.03.20-This Week's Super Spreader-Trump knew he may have been exposed to COVID-19, was experiencing mild symptoms and was tested Thursday, his doctor said at a news conference Saturday. Trump traveled to a fundraiser in New Jersey anyway, possibly exposing attendees, staff and others to the deadly virus that has killed more than 208,000 Americans. The timeline Trump physician Sean Conley outlined offered the clearest evidence yet that Trump had, at the very least, serious reason to suspect he had COVID-19 yet continued behaving as if he did not. 10.02.30-This Week's Politics-Aides to Trump reportedly believe he'll "face a harsh judgment from voters" after contracting COVID-19.Aides to President Trump reportedly believe he'll "face a harsh judgment from voters" after contracting COVID-19. 10.01.20-Fauci Fights Back Against Trump Mask Misinformation After President Trump accused Dr. Anthony Fauci of changing his mind about face masks, the country’s top infectious disease specialist sought to correct the record, saying his early recommendation was to preserve scarce protective equipment for medical professionals. A recent Cornell University study found that Trump, who rarely wears a mask and has mocked others for doing so, is the single biggest driver of falsehoods reported about the coronavirus, largely due to his promotion of ineffective “miracle cures.” 09.14.20-Trump Flails In Attempt To Defend High-Risk, Indoor Campaign Rally In Nevada “I’m on a stage and it’s very far away,” Trump told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And so I’m not at all concerned.” 09.08.20-Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was ‘deadly’ and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading Americans Matthew Pottinger, the deputy national security adviser, agreed. He told the president that after reaching contacts in China, it was evident that the world faced a health emergency on par with the flu pandemic of 1918, which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Ten days later, Trump called Woodward and revealed that he thought the situation was far more dire than what he had been saying publicly. “You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,” Trump said in a Feb. 7 call. “And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu.” “This is deadly stuff,” the president repeated for emphasis. At that time, Trump was telling the nation that the virus was no worse than a seasonal flu, predicting it would soon disappear, and insisting that the U.S. government had it totally under control. It would be several weeks before he would publicly acknowledge that the virus was no ordinary flu and that it could be transmitted through the air. Trump admitted to Woodward on March 19 that he deliberately minimized the danger. “I wanted to always play it down,” the president said. 08.31.20-Click-Pandemic adviser with no epidemiology background reportedly pushes White House to adopt herd immunity strategy. 08.31.20-When Trump gave a speech to a group of sheriffs in Tampa late last month, his decision to travel forced a large contingent of Secret Service agents to head to a state that was then battling one of the worst coronavirus surges in the nation. Even before Air Force One touched down on July 31, the fallout was apparent: Five Secret Service agents already on the ground had to be replaced after one tested positive for the coronavirus and the others working in proximity were presumed to be infected, according to people familiar with the situation. The previously unreported episode is one of a series of examples of how Trump’s insistence on traveling and holding campaign-style events amid the pandemic has heightened the risks for the people who safeguard his life, intensifying the strain on the Secret Service. 08.11.20-Trump got history wrong on multiple counts when he claimed that the “1917” Spanish flu pandemic likely led to the end of World War II ― which began more than two decades later (the Spanish flu pandemic started in 1918). 08.06.20-Inane Comment-Facebook and Twitter remove video of Trump falsely claiming children are "almost immune" to the coronavirus. Nearly 100.00 children test positive in the last two weeks of July. 07.20.20-Dr. Deborah Birx Told The White House That Coronavirus Surge Was Fading. A damning New York Times report reveals that Birx encouraged the Trump administration to believe the virus was soon coming to an end. 07.20.20-As new COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the United States, President Trump's chief of staff reportedly wants the White House to publicly ignore the pandemic as much as possible. 07.17.20-Another lie. “What we do have is we have perhaps the lowest, but among the lowest, but perhaps the lowest, mortality rate — death rate — anywhere in the world,” President Trump said July 9, 2020, the day he surpassed 20,000 false or misleading claims since taking the oath of office. It was the 13th time the president spread this particular falsehood. Nearly 40 Americans had died of the novel coronavirus per 100,000 people, the second worst rate in the world, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. 07.16.20-White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended President Trump: "His historic COVID response speaks for itself." That's for sure! Does she see the irony? 07.16.20-Trump wants schools to open, "and when he says open, he means open and full, kids being able to attend each and every day at their school. The science should not stand in the way of this." Wow! 07.16.20-Maryland's GOP governor publishes a scathing indictment of Trump's coronavirus response. 07.15.20-Dr. Fauci-1 Tump-0 07.13.20- Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney calls coronavirus testing delays ‘simply inexcusable at this point in the pandemic." 07.09.20-There is no evidence to support Trump’s claims that 99 percent of the people who contract the coronavirus find it “totally harmless.” 07.02.20-On February 27 Trump states that" the virus will just disappear". On July 1 he states "the virus will just disappear." 06.27.20-In the hours before his rally in Tulsa, President Trump’s campaign directed the removal of thousands of “Do Not Sit Here, Please!” stickers from seats in the arena that were intended to establish social distance between rallygoers, according to video and photos obtained by The Washington Post and a person familiar with the event. 06.25.20-Trump keeps saying Obama left him ‘no ventilators.’ The number is 16,660. It turns out the U.S. government actually had enough ventilators, left behind by the Obama administration, to handle the initial crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. 06.24.20-Click-The more than 60 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat. (copyright The Washington Post) 06.24.20-Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). “He’s been dreaming up cures and making up stories to the point where he has no credibility.” 06.22.20-"Trump made one of the most damning admissions in presidential history: that he ordered federal officials to slow down testing just to artificially suppress numbers and conceal his atrocious mismanagement of the worst public health crisis in generations.” Biden’s team declared that “it wasn’t a joke: it was a confession." 06.21.20-Trump Uses Racist Terms ‘Kung Flu’ And ‘Chinese Virus’ To Describe COVID-19. White House counselor and Trump ally Kellyanne Conway was furious earlier this year when she heard reports of an administration official saying “kung flu.” 06.20.20-As coronavirus cases surge in the U.S. South and West, health experts in countries with falling case numbers are watching with a growing sense of alarm and disbelief, with many wondering why virus-stricken U.S. states continue to reopen and why the advice of scientists is often ignored. “It really does feel like the U.S. has given up,” 06.18.20-Trump says a small percentage of people at his Tulsa rally will get the virus, so I ask, how many dying is acceptable, you moron? 06.16.20- Trump went off-topic during an address outside the White House on police reform Tuesday, declaring that the coronavirus pandemic will go away without a vaccine and that scientists have “come up with the AIDS vaccine.” At present, there is no scientific indication that coronavirus will go away if a vaccine is not developed and no AIDS vaccine exists. 06.15.20-The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is revoking its emergency authorization for malaria drugs promoted by President Donald Trump for treating COVID-19 amid growing evidence they don't work and could cause deadly side effects. 06.02.20-More than a dozen cadets who were ordered to return to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for their upcoming graduation ceremony ― after President Donald Trump announced he would deliver the commencement speech ― have tested positive for the coronavirus. 05.28.20-In October 2019, months before the coronavirus outbreak began, Biden tweeted a warning to the United States, saying "We are not prepared for a pandemic." Biden then called out President Trump for rolling back measures the Obama administration took, likely referring to Trump's 2018 disbandment of the team directly responsible for handling a pandemic response. 05.26.20-Click-This is a must-read! St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Exposes Trump’s ‘Colossal’ Lie About Obama 05.22.20-Click-Fact-checking Trump’s letter blasting the World Health Organization (copyright The Washington Post) 05.27.20-When Trump took office in 2017, his team stopped work on new federal regulations that would have forced the health care industry to prepare for an airborne infectious disease pandemic such as COVID-19. That decision is documented in federal records reviewed by NPR. 05.23.20-Don't believe that Trump is taking hydroxychloroquine-he has lied about everything else 05.20.20-For months, the president applauded China’s coronavirus before he and his reelection team flipped to blaming that country. 05.17.20-“If FDR had taken Trump’s approach, this column would be in German,” wrote conservative columnist Max Boot in his searing critique of Trump’s coronavirus response. 05.17.20-his new COVID-19 czar holds $10 million in vaccine company stock options 05.12.20-He failed to marshal the national purchasing, production, and distribution of needed protective equipment and supplies, sending desperate states and hospitals into dog-eat-dog international bidding wars that drove prices sky-high -- up to $15 for an N95 mask that usually costs 30 cents and $12 for a face shield that normally went for $1 -- and devastated their budgets. 05.12.20-He keeps lying about the availability of testing and, no one, except the media, has the guts to call him out. 05.11.20-He hosted nearly 20 House Republicans at the White House on Friday to talk about rebuilding the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic ― and not one of them wore a mask or practiced social distancing. 05.11.20-CEOs, Farm Bureau President, and others, Told To Remove Face Masks Before Meeting With Mike Pence. 05.10.20-He contradicted his own health experts to tell astonished reporters on Friday that COVID-19 will “go away without a vaccine.” 05.09.20-In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. government turned down an offer to manufacture millions of N95 masks in America. 05-05-20-One Death Is a Tragedy. 60,000 Deaths Are a Great Success. Most presidents try to console the nation in moments of grief, but Donald Trump is taking a victory lap. 05.02.20-The president and the intelligence community are once again at odds that he’s seen evidence that the coronavirus was created in a lab. The office of the Director of National Intelligence is out with a statement contradicting those claims: “The COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified.” 05.01.20-On April 21 Trump claims coronavirus tests are widely available. On April 30 the Capitol's attending physician told senior Republican staff that he doesn't have the equipment for rapid or widespread testing for all 100 senators when they return to work Monday 04.29.20-He mocks man’s mask at White House. His stooge, Pence, refuses to wear mandatory mask during Mayo Clinic visit among patients, doctors. Conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin, of the Washington Post says: "Well, Trump does not like the idea of wearing a mask, so a sniveling sycophant probably wouldn’t want to be seen in one, either. It is difficult to fathom someone so weak in character as to endanger others because of his boss’s vanity." 04.28.20-On Feb. 26, Trump predicted the number of U.S. cases would be “down to close to zero,” and on Feb. 27, he said the infection would disappear “like a miracle.” To date, more than 988,000 Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and at least 50,000 Americans with the virus have died. Trump also repeatedly promised tests that didn’t materialize 04.28.20-Trump's daily briefings warned repeatedly about the coronavirus in January and February, officials say 04.25.20-His pathetic pity party at his press conference-"everyone wants to take care of “our” seniors, adding, “except me. Nobody wants to take care of me.” 04.24.20-He suggested injecting people with disinfectant -- an idea quickly condemned by experts as potentially fatal-“TOTAL BLEACH BUM” 04.23.20-Fox News hosts go mum on the covid-19 drug they spent weeks promoting 04.23.20-The official who led the federal agency involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine said on Wednesday that he was removed from his post after he pressed for rigorous vetting of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug embraced by President Trump as a coronavirus treatment, and that the administration had put “politics and cronyism ahead of science.” 04.23.20-He says CDC director comments misquoted; CDC chief says comments quoted correctly 04.23.20-Immigration pause-smokescreen to stop the negative virus narrative 04.22.20-Some anti-lockdown protests are reportedly being organized by groups funded by Republican mega-donors 04.21.20-Study Of hydroxychloroquine as coronavirus treatment finds more deaths, no benefit 03.27.20-click-10 Of Trump’s Most Damaging Coronavirus Lies (copyright The Huffington Post) 03.18.20-click-Biggest blunder in presidential history-click (copyright The Washington Post) America ‘has been abused by this president,’ former RNC chairman Michael Steele says. His 'virus testing czar' was ousted from a job developing vaccines after a dismal performance evaluation. He defended right-wing, pro-gun and anti-vaccination protesters who weren't following social distancing guidelines in demanding the end of coronavirus restrictions, saying they were "great people." U.S. manufacturers sent millions of dollars of face masks, other equipment to China early this year. He is trying to blame WHO-Nonsense-The organization began warning the world about the threat from Covid-19 in early January and On Jan. 30, WHO declared an international public health emergency-Trump waited until March 13-Americans at World Health Organization transmitted real-time information about coronavirus to Trump administration-The presence of so many U.S. officials undercuts President Trump’s assertion that the WHO’s failure to communicate the extent of the threat, born of a desire to protect China, is largely responsible for the rapid spread of the virus in the United States. He reportedly asked if we should just let the virus 'wash over' the country Fox News’ Brit Hume Hits Donald Trump With The Painful Truth About His Coronavirus Briefings. Which part of 'Federal Response' does Trump not understand? Trump, GOP challenge efforts to make voting easier amid coronavirus pandemic Republican Governor Slaps Down Trump Testing Claim: ‘That’s Just Not True’ He brags about his news conference ratings-Unfortunately for sick and dying Americans, the president we have doesn't care about any of that. He just cares about being seen and praised. Representative Thomas Massie is the epitome of the anti-government culture Republicans have nurtured and encouraged His Priority Is Making Sure Someone Else Takes the Blame If Things Go Bad The White House ignored a literal 'pandemic playbook' as it struggled to mount its coronavirus fight He says governors 'have to treat us well' if they want assistance during coronavirus pandemic A man died after self medicating for COVID-19 with a drug Trump promoted as a potential treatment January 22: Trump said the coronavirus is “under control” Dr. Fauci tacitly and even openly admitted comments made by the commander in chief are not true and not in line with what the nation’s leading infectious disease expert is advising Watch this video: Wasted Time - Shameful! He needs to shut up and listen to Dr, Fauci (false hope vs. science) The media must stop live-broadcasting Trump’s dangerous, destructive coronavirus briefings “The system was blinking red,” an intelligence official told The Washington Post, but no one could get Trump to “do anything about it.” A photo of his notes for his Thursday press briefing with the coronavirus task force show that “Corona” was crossed out and replaced with “Chinese.”-ugh! He dodges accountability for medical supply crisis by blaming states At a March 2 White House meeting, he reportedly offered “large sums of money” to get German-based CureVac to move its operations stateside --exclusively for use in the United States. prompting counteroffers from Berlin. Disgusting! He is still shaking hands-March 14-During an event, the president shook hands, patted backs and touched the microphone 31 times. He is breaking just about every rule in the CDC’s 450-page playbook for communicating about a health crisis His terrible speech on March 13 In February, he said that Democrats are using the virus as a “hoax” to damage him and his administration-WTF? He lied when he said "anyone who wants a test can get it" He bungled his 10 minute speech, making statements that were not true and had to be corrected later He will somehow make the corona virus all about him and spread false information to make himself look good. (he has a 'hunch' that the World Health Organization numbers were wrong!) Don't believe anything he says about the virus In February he said that the number of cases in the U.S. would soon fall from 15 to “close to zero” Reportedly told aides he fears journalists will purposefully try to infect him with coronavirus on Air Force One. Said "Does anybody die from the flu? I didn’t know people died from the flu." His grandfather did disputes virus statistics provided by SCIENTISTS. Is now fully embracing the conspiracy theory that his assorted enemies are deliberately hyping the coronavirus threat, all to damage him politically. Maryland's GOP governor publishes a scathing indictment of Trump's coronavirus responseMaryland's GOP governor publishes a scathing indictment of Trump's coronavirus response |
Retired Navy Admiral William McRaven — U.S. special forces commander from 2011 to 2014, including the 2011 SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden — writes a WashPost op-ed condemning President Trump's treatment of retired Vice Admiral Joe Maguire, acting director of national intelligence until this week:
"As Americans, we should be frightened — deeply afraid for the future of the nation. When good men and women can’t speak the truth, when facts are inconvenient, when integrity and character no longer matter, when presidential ego and self-preservation are more important than national security — then there is nothing left to stop the triumph of evil."
