Coronavirus Surge Getting Warmed Up

 In a few weeks the US will see a massive death toll and most of the dead will be MAGAts. The COVID-19 surge has just left the starting line and it's picking up speed and momentum. If a vaccine gets distributed to the general population by mid May that will be a minor miracle. The plan now is to vaccinate healthcare workers and nursing home residents. Who knows when the MAGAts will get the vaccine and who knows how many MAGAts will get vaccinated? 

Last updated: November 29, 2020, 00:32 GMT

 United States

Coronavirus Cases:

13,608,038

Deaths:

272,254

Projections

CLOSED CASES

8,313,115

Cases which had an outcome:

8,040,861 (97%)

Recovered / Discharged

272,254 (3%)

Deaths

Coronavirus Cases Coronavirus Deaths: United States Trump Lied

Last updated: May 28, 2020, 1:00 PM

 United States

Coronavirus Cases:

1,756,011

Deaths:

102,704

Trump's response in March: “No. Not at all. And we have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s — going to be just fine.”

Last updated: May 28, 2020, 7pm

 United States

Coronavirus Cases:

1,767,791

Deaths:

103,313

\

Last updated: May 31, 2020, 6 pm Eastern Standard Time

 United States

Coronavirus Cases:

1,834,977

Deaths:

106,146

‘We have it totally under control.’ A timeline of ...

We have it totally under control.’ A timeline of President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic

President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room, Monday, March 23, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

March 24, 2020 PolitiFact and Jon Greenberg

CoronavirusPolitiFact

Category:Fact-Checking

   

Editor’s note: PolitiFact, which is owned by the Poynter Institute, is fact-checking misinformation about the coronavirus. This article is republished with permission, and originally appeared here.

If your time is short

• After the disease was in Washington state and the World Health Organization reported a high global risk, Trump said there were no worries of a pandemic.
• The day the stock market plummeted, Trump said the virus was very much under control in the U.S., and the stock market was looking pretty good to him.
• A few days after declaring a national emergency, Trump said he had “always known” this was a pandemic. (That’s Pants on Fire.)

In the span of three months, Americans went from hearing about a new virus in central China to being told they ought to stay home and avoid groups larger than 10. President Donald Trump went from telling people not to worry and everything was under control to leading daily press conferences on containing the outbreak in the United States.

The rapidly evolving story can be broken down into three phases: the emergence of the threat, the government’s focus on keeping it out of the United States, and finally, its efforts to contain the spread.

Here are the key moments in each phase, and what Trump said at those times — fact-checked.

The disease emerges

Dec. 31: China confirms existence of a new virus.

Jan. 20: World Health Organization reports cases in China, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.

Jan. 21: The first U.S. case is announced in Washington state (as well as Vietnam and Singapore). WHO says the virus risk globally is high.

Jan. 22: A reporter asks if there are worries about a pandemic. Trump responds:

“No. Not at all. And we have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s — going to be just fine.”

Jan. 24: Trump tweets, “It will all work out well.”

Jan 29: The White House forms a coronavirus response task force, initially led by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

Jan. 30: The WHO declares a global health emergency.

Phase Two: Keeping it out of the United States

Jan. 30: Trump blocks travel from China.

The same night, he holds a campaign rally in Iowa.

“We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five. … we think it’s going to have a very good ending for it.”

Feb. 2: Trump tells Fox News host Sean Hannity, “We pretty much shut it down coming in from China.”

Feb. 4: Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. Over 2,600 guests and over 1,000 crew. Within two days, over 40 people test positive for COVID-19, including eight Americans.

Feb. 11: WHO names the new virus COVID-19.

Feb 14: Trump discusses the “very small” number of U.S. coronavirus cases with  Border Patrol Council members:

“We have a very small number of people in the country, right now, with it. It’s like around 12. Many of them are getting better. Some are fully recovered already. So we’re in very good shape.”

Feb. 20: WHO reports nearly 77,000 cases worldwide in 27 countries.

Feb. 24: Stock market plummets as Dow Jones Industrials falls more than 1,000 points.

The same day, Trump asks for $1.25 billion in emergency aid. It grows to $8.3 billion in Congress. He tweets that the virus “is very much under control” and the stock market “starting to look very good to me!”

Feb. 26: The first case emerges in California with no clear source, suggesting community spread of the virus.

In a news conference that day, Trump says the United States is “really prepared.” He puts Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the White House task force.

Feb. 28: Cases rise across Europe, including Italy, Germany, France, England, Switzerland and Belarus.

Phase Three: Containing the spread

Feb. 29: FDA eases guidelines to speed the broader use of testing.

March 4: House passes $8.3 billion emergency bill, aimed mainly at the immediate health response to the virus.

In a Fox News interview, Trump deflects criticism to his response by saying the Obama administration (including the vice president, Joe Biden) “didn’t do anything about” swine flu. We rated the claim False.

Trump continues to blame the Obama administration in an exchange with reporters at the White House.

“The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we’re doing.”

Our fact-check shows the process dated back to 2006, before Obama took office. So the claim is False.

March 6: Grand Princess cruise ship with over 2,000 passengers waits to dock off the California coast.

Asked about the docking of the Grand Princess, Trump says the following:

“I would rather (Grand Princess passengers stay aboard) because I like the numbers being where they are. I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship.”

Trump went on to say that he thought it was more important for passengers to debark than to keep the numbers down.

In a news conference, Trump downplays the concerns around testing:

“Anybody that wants a test can get a test.”

With tests in short supply, we rated the claim Pants on Fire.

The same day, Trump tweets out blame to the media and the Democrats for trying to “inflame” the situation “far beyond what the facts would warrant.”

March 11: On the same day the WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic, Trump uses a prime-time Oval Office address to announce a ban on travel for non-Americans from most of Europe. He misstates a freeze on cargo and falsely said the health insurance industry has “agreed to waive all co-payments for coronavirus treatments.” In reality, getting tested would be free, but treatment would not be covered.

March 13: Trump declares a national emergency to access $50 billion for states and territories, and clear the way for fast-track waivers for hospitals and doctors as they respond to the virus.

March 14: The House passes a worker and business relief bill with paid leave guarantees for certain workers, expanded food assistance and unemployment insurance benefits, and employer tax credits. Trump signs it four days later.

March 17: Trump said in a news conference that for the next 14 days, “we’re asking everyone to work at home, if possible, postpone unnecessary travel, and limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people.”

Trump says there was no shift in tone from the White House.

“I’ve always known this is a real, this is a pandemic. I’ve felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”

As this timeline shows, Trump minimized the threat of a pandemic for many weeks. Pants on Fire!

Asked if the World Health Organization had offered detection tests to the United States, Trump said WHO had not, and that the WHO coronavirus test “was a bad test.” False. WHO said three independent labs had validated the test, and the White House coordinator for coronavirus response said she assumed the WHO test is effective.

March 19: The U.S. Senate unveils a $1 trillion-plus economic stimulus package. California orders lockdown for 40 million residents.

March 20: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all non-essential businesses to keep their workers home.

PolitiFact, which is fact-checking misinformation about the coronavirus, is part of the Poynter Institute. See more of their fact-checks at politifact.com/coronavirus.

Trump claims coronavirus is under control -- contradicting ...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/politics/coronavirus...

Mar 16, 2020 · Trump claims coronavirus is under control -- contradicting reality and his own top expert - CNNPolitics.

Trump’s quotes on covid-19 show how his response has ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/...

• • Jan. 22 “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it …
  • March 4. “Some people will have this at a very light level and won’t even go to a doctor or hospital, …
  • March 14. “We’re using the full power of the federal government to defeat the virus, and that’s what …
  • March 19. “We took the best economy we’ve ever had and we said ‘Stop. You can’t work. You …

  See full list on washingtonpost.com

Trump Says He Trusts Xi’s Word on Coronavirus: ‘It’s All ...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-says-he-trusts...

Jan 22, 2020 · “We have it totally under control,” Trump said from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Asked about the confirmed case in Washington state, Trump responded: “It’s …

Trump on coronavirus from China: 'We have it totally under ...

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/trump-on-corona...

Jan 22, 2020 · "We have it totally under control," Trump told "Squawk Box" co-host Joe Kernen in an interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "It's one person coming in from China.

Trump says coronavirus 'under control' in US, problem ...

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-coronavirus...

Feb 25, 2020 · Trump says coronavirus 'under control' in US President Trump, speaking in India, said Tuesday that while the coronavirus is a "very serious thing" but is "under control" in the U…

Trump's Statements About the Coronavirus - FactCheck.org

https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/trumps-statements-about-the-coronavirus

Mar 18, 2020 · Feb. 23: “We have it very much under control in this country.” — Trump in speaking to reporters . Feb. 24: “ The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA.

Trump says US has coronavirus 'totally under control ...

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/479301...

“We have it totally under control,” Trump told CNBC. “It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control.” “It’s going to be fine,” the president continued.

A timeline of what Trump has said on coronavirus - CBS News

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/timeline-president...

Apr 03, 2020 · We have it very much under control in this country," the president told reporters, in response to a question about whether he had been updated on …

OP ED: If  you still support Trump you should die. You know the truth and you spread his lies. You should die in agony! Keep believing Trump's lies you fat, stinking, gun toting, cousin marrying, fake Christian, treasonous slime. I'd tell you all to go to hell but that has already been determined. Go to church and infect others of your kind.

Are Republicans Responsible For Coronavirus Deaths? Yes They Are!

Susan Collins’ Obama-Era Vote Against Pandemic Funding Comes Back to Haunt Her

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photo Chip Somodevilla/Getty

For Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a lifelong Republican who believes in limited government, funding for pandemic flu preparations didn’t belong in the Obama administration’s economic stimulus plan. She lobbied hard to kill the money, and as one of only three Senate Republicans supporting the package, she had a lot of leverage with an administration desperate to show bipartisan support in a global economic crisis.   

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in February of that year. Two months later, in April, as a new influenza outbreak, H1N1, known as swine flu, got underway, Democrat David Obey, who chaired the House Appropriations committee at the time, took Collins to task:

“Whether or not this influenza strain turns out to have pandemic potential, sooner or later some strain will. We are not prepared today. Let’s hope we don’t need to be.”

How Susan Collins Became the Senate’s Most Vulnerable Republican

Michael Grunwald, whose 2012 book, The New New Deal, tells the story of the massive stimulus legislation that funneled $800 billion into the economy, recently posted the page from his book that underscores Collins’ power in shaping the deal, along with her insistence that money for pandemic preparation was a non-starter in the bill.  She was immovable, according to Grunwald’s reporting. 

In response to criticism now about Collins’ 2009 vote, her communications director, Annie Clark, pushed back on Twitter, arguing that the pandemic funding did not belong in the stimulus bill since it was not emergency economic assistance. The money was redirected to community health centers, and funds for flu preparedness later passed as part of the regular appropriations process in a June omnibus spending bill that Collins voted for. She had flexed her muscle on that bill as well, initially voting against it in a cloture vote because it failed to spend funds “carefully and effectively.

At the time, prominent Democrats like Chuck Schumer, now the Senate minority leader, agreed with Collins that the stimulus bill should be narrowly tailored. But when the swine flu outbreak occurred soon after, it was Collins defending her vote, not Schumer, because her position on what should be in the bill was decisive. Democrats needed her vote to reach the 60-vote threshold to avoid a filibuster.

And that vote came back to haunt her, says Willy Ritch with 16 Counties, a nonprofit formed last year in Maine to hold Collins accountable for votes that he claims are out of step with what Maine voters want. He points out that the $870 million she killed in the stimulus package for pandemic preparedness was in addition to the smaller $500 million for pandemic flu research that had been in the pipeline, and that was approved in an omnibus spending bill.  

“Senator Collins talks a lot about the power she has in the Senate, but many of us increasingly don’t like what she does with that power,” Ritch told The Daily Beast.

“She always seems to have some convoluted explanation or excuse.” He ticks off Collins’ vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court after saying she believed his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, but thought she was “mixed up” and “mistaken” about her attacker’s identity. She thought President Trump abused the power of his office, but that “the Founders” would not want her to vote to convict him for doing so. “And she voted for pandemic preparedness after she killed it,” he says.  

Collins is running for a fifth term in the Senate in the toughest race of her long career. “Her brand is a centrist, a pragmatic legislator who works across the aisle—and that took a hit when she voted to confirm Kavanaugh and when she voted against removing President Trump,” says Jessica Taylor, who monitors Senate races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. “Those are seminal moments, and they make it much harder for her to be seen as a pragmatic lawmaker.” 

Collins is one of the last of a kind, the lawmaker whose image is based on crossing the aisle and standing up to party doctrine. “In the age of Trump, it is much harder to have any moderate image, and she is a victim of that,” says Taylor. After impeachment, Collins said she felt Trump had learned his lesson. Immediately after, he made it clear he had not. 

Voters who once applauded Collins’ thoughtful pragmatism now increasingly see her as having gone to the well once too often, and that when she arrives at her final position, it was the one she was going to take all along. 

Her decline in favorability is stunning. In 2016, according to a Morning Consult survey, she was the second most popular senator after Bernie Sanders. In January of this year, a Morning Consult poll tracker found that Collins is now the most unpopular senator, eclipsing Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who had held the position for some time. 

Her approval rating, once in the high 60s, has fallen steadily since 2017, according to a graph compiled by Morning Consult. The line showing her disapproval crossed over in the second quarter of 2019 to be the higher number. “There’s a phrase in polling—the trend is not her friend,” says a longtime political observer in Maine. “She keeps ticking down and ticking down.” 

The race is a tossup, and for Democrats, it is a key pickup in their quest to regain majority control in the Senate. The likely Democratic challenger, Sara Gideon, speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, is in a dead heat with Collins in a Colby College poll and has a 4 percentage point lead in a Public Policy Polling survey (PDF). 

In the PPP poll, Gideon’s favorable rating is 34 percent, her unfavorable rating is 32 percent, and 33 percent say they don’t know enough about her. Collins’ favorable rating in the poll is 33 percent, her unfavorable is 57 percent, and only 6 percent say they don’t know about their four-term senator. 

Finally, what Collins said in 2009 and even today matters less than what Trump does now. “The Senate Republicans are inextricably linked to President Trump and how he handles this crisis,” says Taylor with Cook Political. “He gave himself a 10.” 

Few would agree with that assessment, and Collins has urged Trump to step back and let the public health officials lead the messaging. But criticizing Trump is tricky business in the best of times. And for Collins, these are the worst of times.