Trump Coronavirus Timeline
January 22: Trump: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.”
January 31: Hannity: “Coronavirus, how concerned are you?” Trump: “Well, we pretty much shut it down coming in from China. We have a tremendous relationship with China, which is a very positive thing. Getting along with China, getting along with Russia“ February 2:
Trump: “We pretty much shut it down coming in from China.”
February 10: Trump: “A lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat—as the heat comes in.” White House acting budget director Russell Vought: “Coronavirus is not something that is going to have ripple effects.”
February 24: Trump: “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. . . . Stock Market starting to look very good to me.” Trump’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow: “You should seriously consider buying these [stock market] dips” [Note: The Dow Jones ended February 24 at 27,960. It closed March 11 at 23,553.] February 26:
Trump: “[The number of people infected is] going very substantially down, not up.” “The 15 [cases] within a couple of days, is going to be down to zero.” [Note: Two weeks later, as we compiled this list on March 11, there were over 1,000 confirmed cases in the United States.] February 27:
Trump: “It’s going to disappear one day, it’s like a miracle.”
February 28: Eric Trump: “In my opinion, it’s a great time to buy stocks or into your 401k. I would be all in . . . let’s see if I’m right.” [Note: The stock market closed at 25,409 on February 28. It closed at 23,553 on March 11.]
March 2: Trump on a coronavirus vaccine: “I’ve heard very quick numbers, that of months.” [Note: Immunologist Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has repeatedly said that a vaccine will not be available for a year or year and a half.]
March 6: Trump: “I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. . . . Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.” Trump: “I didn’t know people died from the flu.” Trump on whether or not to bring coronavirus patients on a cruise ship to shore: “I like the numbers being where they are.” Trump: “Anybody who wants a test gets a test.” [Note. This was a lie at the time and remains dangerously untrue today. The previous day, Vice President Mike Pence said, “We don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.”] Larry Kudlow: “We stopped it, it was a very early shut down, I would still argue to you that this thing is contained.” Larry Kudlow: “Investors should think about buying these dips.” [Note: The Dow Jones closed at 25,864 on March 6, over 2,300 points lower than the previous time Kudlow suggested investors “buy the dip.”]
March 9: Trump: “Good for the consumer, gasoline prices coming down!” Trump: “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths.”
March 10: Trump: “It will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”
March 11: Trump: “If we get rid of the coronavirus problem quickly, we won’t need [economic] stimulus.” Trump [in response to a question from CNN’s Jim Acosta asking what he would “say to Americans who say you are not taking this seriously enough and that some of your statements don’t match what health experts are saying”]: “That’s CNN. Fake news.”
March 12: Trump: “We have ’em very heavily tested. If an American’s coming back, or anybody’s coming back, we’re testing. We have a tremendous testing setup where people coming in have to be tested. And if they are positive, and if they’re able to get through—because, frankly, if they’re not, we’re not putting them on planes, if it shows positive…” [Note. This is not true.]
March 13: Trump: “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
March 17: Trump: “I’ve felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”
Fuck this orange idiot and anyone still trying to defend any part of this shit.
We could have been acting weeks ago...
January 22: Trump: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.”
January 31: Hannity: “Coronavirus, how concerned are you?” Trump: “Well, we pretty much shut it down coming in from China. We have a tremendous relationship with China, which is a very positive thing. Getting along with China, getting along with Russia“ February 2:
Trump: “We pretty much shut it down coming in from China.”
February 10: Trump: “A lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat—as the heat comes in.” White House acting budget director Russell Vought: “Coronavirus is not something that is going to have ripple effects.”
February 24: Trump: “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. . . . Stock Market starting to look very good to me.” Trump’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow: “You should seriously consider buying these [stock market] dips” [Note: The Dow Jones ended February 24 at 27,960. It closed March 11 at 23,553.] February 26:
Trump: “[The number of people infected is] going very substantially down, not up.” “The 15 [cases] within a couple of days, is going to be down to zero.” [Note: Two weeks later, as we compiled this list on March 11, there were over 1,000 confirmed cases in the United States.] February 27:
Trump: “It’s going to disappear one day, it’s like a miracle.”
February 28: Eric Trump: “In my opinion, it’s a great time to buy stocks or into your 401k. I would be all in . . . let’s see if I’m right.” [Note: The stock market closed at 25,409 on February 28. It closed at 23,553 on March 11.]
March 2: Trump on a coronavirus vaccine: “I’ve heard very quick numbers, that of months.” [Note: Immunologist Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has repeatedly said that a vaccine will not be available for a year or year and a half.]
March 6: Trump: “I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. . . . Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.” Trump: “I didn’t know people died from the flu.” Trump on whether or not to bring coronavirus patients on a cruise ship to shore: “I like the numbers being where they are.” Trump: “Anybody who wants a test gets a test.” [Note. This was a lie at the time and remains dangerously untrue today. The previous day, Vice President Mike Pence said, “We don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.”] Larry Kudlow: “We stopped it, it was a very early shut down, I would still argue to you that this thing is contained.” Larry Kudlow: “Investors should think about buying these dips.” [Note: The Dow Jones closed at 25,864 on March 6, over 2,300 points lower than the previous time Kudlow suggested investors “buy the dip.”]
March 9: Trump: “Good for the consumer, gasoline prices coming down!” Trump: “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths.”
March 10: Trump: “It will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”
March 11: Trump: “If we get rid of the coronavirus problem quickly, we won’t need [economic] stimulus.” Trump [in response to a question from CNN’s Jim Acosta asking what he would “say to Americans who say you are not taking this seriously enough and that some of your statements don’t match what health experts are saying”]: “That’s CNN. Fake news.”
March 12: Trump: “We have ’em very heavily tested. If an American’s coming back, or anybody’s coming back, we’re testing. We have a tremendous testing setup where people coming in have to be tested. And if they are positive, and if they’re able to get through—because, frankly, if they’re not, we’re not putting them on planes, if it shows positive…” [Note. This is not true.]
March 13: Trump: “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
March 17: Trump: “I’ve felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”
Fuck this orange idiot and anyone still trying to defend any part of this shit.
We could have been acting weeks ago...
