Saturday, May 15, 2021

Day by day: What Trump said about the pandemic (May 1-15, 2020)


Meet America's presidential flare-up

Dictionary definition from Merriam-Webster

May 15, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,520,125 (+30,607), which is 4.5% of current total. 

May 15, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,921,790 (+34,519)


“We think we’re going to have a vaccine in the pretty near future, and if we do we’re going to really be a big step ahead,” Trump told a reporter Friday at a White House event detailing U.S. efforts to develop a vaccine. 
“And if we don’t, we’re going to be like so many other cases where you had a problem come in, it’ll go away at some point, it’ll go away,” Trump said. “It may flare up and it may not flare up, we’ll have to see what happens, but if it does flare up we’re going to put out the fire and we’ll put it out quickly and efficiently. We’ve learned a lot.”  [emphasis adsded]
Caution:  flare-ups ahead!


May 15, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 91,728 (+1,666), which is 15.4% of current total.

May 15, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 584,725 (610)

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Keep in mind, the number of active cases of Covid in the U.S. continued to rises through the end of Trump's disastrous presidency, highlighted by his inept response to the pandemic.


SourceWorldometers


May 14, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,489,568 (+27,978), which is 4.5% of current total. 

May 14, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,880,674


Politico, 5/14/2020
“And don’t forget, we have more cases than anybody in the world,” he added. “But why? Because we do more testing. When you test, you have a case. When you test, you find something is wrong with people. If we didn’t do any testing, we would have very few cases.” Coronavirus Dispatch: Infection inside the White House SharePlay Video Trump said the news media had refused to report his “common sense” explanation for the country’s high case numbers. He repeated the misleading claim that the U.S. has tested more people than other countries, sidestepping the reality that testing as a share of the population is lower than in other countries


May 14, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 90,060 (+1,803), which is 15.4% of current total.

May 14, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 583,990

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Trump:  Fighting Dr. Fauci, as well as the infectious disease scinece, every step of the way during the pandemic.

Thesaurus entry from Merriam-Webster

May 13, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,461,610 (+27,956), which is 4.5% of current total. 

May 13, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,842,140


NPR, 5/13/2020
"I was surprised by his answer actually, because, you know, it's just to me — it's not an acceptable answer, especially when it comes to schools," Trump told reporters, adding that "the only thing that would be acceptable" is giving older teachers and professors a reprieve for a few weeks before returning. "But with the young children, I mean, and students, it's really — just take a look at the statistics. It's pretty amazing," Trump said.


May 13, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 88,257 (+1,877), which is 15.1% of current total.

May 13, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 583,210

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Trump continues to campaign on the corpses of tens of thousands of U.S. Covid casualities, test-driving "transition to greatness" slogan.  


Dictionary definition from Merriam-Webster (highlight added)

May 12, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,433,204 (+19,214), which is 4.4% of current total. 

May 12, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,805,602


"We will transition into greatness. That's a phrase you're going to hear a lot, because that's what's going to happen," Trump said, predicting a strong third quarter, a very good fourth quarter and then pent-up demand being unleashed next year. "It's a transition to greatness. And greatness is next year," he insisted.  (i.e., after the November elections)
Trump also signaled a new fallback strategy designed to whip up the fervor of his base by accusing his predecessor of mounting an attempt to cancel out his win in 2016 in what his supporters refer to as a "deep state plot."

 

May 12, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 86,380 (+1,920), which is 14.8% of current total.

May 12, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 582,362

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May 11, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,413,990 (+18,667), which is 4.3% of current total. 

May 11, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,772,514


NBC Ncws, 5/11/20
Churlishly campaigning on the corpses of 84,460 U.S. Covid casualities.  
“Thanks to the courage of our citizens and our aggressive strategy, hundreds of thousands of lives have been saved,” Trump said. “In every generation, through every challenge and hardship and danger, America has risen to the task, we have met the moment and we have prevailed.”  (The fuller quote is from a Bloomberg report.)
Since Trump uttered this blather, another 497,209 Americans have died of Covid.

The only task where Trump and the sycophants in his adminstration prevailed was in the spewing of lies and misinformation.

Also from Bloomberg:  Asked later about his remark that the U.S. had “prevailed,” Trump said he was only talking about testing for the virus.

More spewing.

And Bloomberg fell for it hook, line, and sinker!


May 11, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 84,460 (+1,037), which is 14.5% of current total.

May 11, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 581,669

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Thesaurus entry from Merriam-Webster

May 10, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,395,223 (+20,642), which is 4.3% of current total. 

May 10, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,736,063


Throughout the afternoon on Saturday, in an effort to raise concerns among his supporters, Trump tweeted baseless suspicions about potential voter fraud in both mail-in ballots and in-person voting in a California special congressional election on Tuesday. His focus on vote-counting came two days after he met with political advisers to refine their strategy for mounting aggressive legal challenges to Democratic efforts to shift to vote-by-mail ballots this fall. 
It was the latest evidence of how the 2020 presidential election is quietly taking shape at a time when both candidates are off the campaign trail and America is still gripped by fears about the pandemic and its alarming human and economic toll.

 

May 10, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 83.423 (+1,238), which is 14.4% of current total.

May 10, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 581,302

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Still a long way to go.


May 9, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,374,581 (+25,539), which is 4.2% of current total. 

May 9, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,713,675


"Some people' are just collateral damage in TrumpWorld:  
The virus' arrival at the White House is a stark reminder that the pandemic, which has killed more than 77,000 Americans, is far from over. 
Despite the rising death toll, the President keeps pushing for a swift restart of the US economy, downplaying the need for more testing and focusing instead on shifting the blame to China. 
"Will some people be affected badly? Yes," Trump said on Tuesday. "But we have to get our country open, and we have to get it open soon."


May 9, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 82,185 (+1,469), which is 14.1% of current total.

May 9, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 581,056

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May 8, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,349,042 (+29,940), which is 4.1% of current total. 

May 8, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,679,911


“I feel about vaccines like I feel about tests: This is going to go away without a vaccine,” Trump said. “It’s going to go away, and we’re not going to see it again, hopefully, after a period of time.” 
Trump said that there could be “flare-ups,” including in the fall, but that it would go away regardless.

 


May 8, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 80,716 (+2,188), which is 13.9% of current total.

May 8, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 580,452

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May 7, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,349,024 (+29,341), which is 3.0% of current total. 

May 7, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,584,456


U.S. News, 5/7/2020
U.S. coronavirus cases surged past 1.2 million and the death toll topped 73,000 on Wednesday. But President Donald Trump also said Wednesday that he would renew efforts to end the Affordable Care Act, which many credit with opening access to health care amid the COVID-19 crisis. 
"We want to terminate health care under Obamacare," Trump told reporters. The government health insurance program was designed to expand coverage to include all Americans.

 

May 7, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 80,716 (+1,744), which is 13.7% of current total.

May 7, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 578.804

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Donald Trump:  Politicizing masks 24/7.

Graphic from Pew Research


May 6, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,290,481 (+25,802), which is 3.9% of current total. 

May 6, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,584,456


NBC News, 5/6/2020
“I didn’t need it, and I asked specifically the head of Honeywell, 'Should I wear a mask?' and he said, 'Well, you don’t need one in this territory.' And as you know, we were far away from people, from the people making the masks," said Trump, who also didn't wear a mask Wednesday as he spoke with reporters during a photo opportunity with nurses in the Oval Office. 
Trump said he did have a mask on "for a period of time," and that he had at least four masks with him during the tour. 
"I can’t help it if you didn’t see me, I mean, I had a mask on," Trump told reporters.

And the chickenshits at Honeywell do not dare to offend the His Orange.


May 6, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 76,784 (+2,589), which is 13.3% of current total.

May 6, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 578.804

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Donald Trump: merchant of COVID death.

Dictionary definition from Merriam-Webster

May 5, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,264,679 (+26,067), which is 3.9% of current total. 

May 5, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,539,178


“There’ll be more death, that the virus will pass, with or without a vaccine. And I think we’re doing very well on the vaccines but, with or without a vaccine, it’s going to pass, and we’re going to be back to normal,” Trump said. 
There is no evidence so far that, in the absence of a vaccine, the virus “will pass” in a way that allows the country to return to a pre-coronavirus “normal.” In fact, it’s the opposite. Trump’s own top scientists say they believe the virus will come back in the fall and may even prove to come back every season like the flu.


May 5, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 74,195 (+2,426), which is 12.8% of current total.

May 5, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 578.010

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How things worked out, Covid-wise, after May 4, 2020.


The 7-day average on May 4th is 10% of the peak of 259,614 that occurred on January 9, 2021.  It's not working out -- and never did work out as long as Trump was in office.

May 4, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,238,612 (+26,970), which is 3.8% of current total. 

May 4, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,498,673


ABC News, /5/4/2020
"I'll tell you one thing. We did the right thing and I really believe we saved a million and a half lives," Trump told Fox News during a "virtual" town hall at the Lincoln Memorial. "It is horrible to go through, but it is working out.[emphasis added]


May 4, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 71,769 (+1,350), which is 12,4% of current total.

May 4, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 577,378

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Still peddling a bald-faced lie

Screenshot of thesaurus entry from Merriam-Webster

May 3, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,211,642 (+26,865), which is 3.6% of current total. 

May 3, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,448,723


New York Times, 5/3/2020
During the two-hour broadcast, he also acknowledged that he was warned about the coronavirus in his regular intelligence briefing on Jan. 23, but he asserted that the information was characterized as if “it was not a big deal.” 
Mr. Trump confirmed reports that his intelligence briefings cited the virus even as he argued that it had not been presented in an alarming way that demanded immediate action. 
“On Jan. 23, I was told that there could be a virus coming in but it was of no real import,” Mr. Trump said. “In other words, it wasn’t, ‘Oh, we’ve got to do something, we’ve got to do something.’ It was a brief conversation, and it was only on Jan. 23. Shortly thereafter, I closed the country to China. We had 23 people in the room and I was the only one in the room who wanted to close it down.”
The truth
Business Insider, 3/31/2020
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US's leading expert on allergies and infectious diseases, has warned that the coronavirus, which causes a disease known as COVID-19, is uniquely insidious because it is a respiratory-borne illness that spreads easily from person to person and has a high degree of morbidity and mortality. 
"Unfortunately, that's the worst nightmare you could have, is to have something like that," Fauci told "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah. 
But Trump was warned — urgently and repeatedly — of this scenario, and his claim that it "came out of nowhere" and "nobody knew" about it is patently false. It also is an effort to defend against a potential backlash that poses a risk to his re-election bid, as the economy stalls and the virus spreads. The US is now the epicenter of the global outbreak, with 164,610 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 death.


May 3, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 70,419 (+1,183), which is 11.7% of current total.

May 3, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 576,638

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Donald Trump stands by his Covid messaging man.


May 2, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,184,777 (+29,186), which is 3.6% of current total. 

May 2, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,419,584


The Guardian, 5/2/2020
Caputo responded to CNN’s investigation by telling the broadcaster: “I stopped caring about what handwringing, virtue signaling leftists think of me after their 59th death threat against my family. Have fun with this while I’m fighting a deadly pandemic 24/7. 
”Trump did not address the CNN story directly but did respond to a tweet from Caputo on Friday calling the president “a fearless man”. Trump wrote on Saturday: “Thank you Michael. You also!”'
In September 2020, Capito took a 60-day leave of absence after accusing government scientists of sedition.

May 2, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 68,236 (+1,740), which is 11.7% of current total.

May 2, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 576,339

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The number of Covid deaths in the U.S. exceeded 100,000 on May 22, 2020


May 1, 2020.   U.S. total Covid cases =  1,155,591 (+36,035), which is 3.6% of current total. 

May 1, 2021.  U.S. total Covid cases = 32,473,488


President Donald Trump on Friday seemingly increased his estimate of possible deaths in the United States from the coronavirus, telling a White House event he hopes for less than 100,000 fatalities, a higher upper limit than the 60,000 to 70,000 deaths he discussed on Monday. 
"Hopefully we're going to come in below that 100,000 lives lost, which is a horrible number nevertheless," Trump said. 

And reached 420,924 on Trump's last full day in office.  Beyond horrible.



May 1, 2020.   U.S. total Covid deaths = 67,496 (+1,976), which is 11.7% of current total.

May 1, 2021.  U.S. total Covid deaths = 575,637


Related series of posts:
Day by day:  What Trump said about the pandemic. 


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