–‘Incompetent’ Speaker Pelosi Trying to Create a ‘Panic’
–CDC Official: ‘We Do Expect More Cases’
–HHS’s Azar: ‘The Degree of Risk Has the Potential to Change Quickly’
By Denny Gulino
THE WHITE HOUSE (MaceNews) – President Trump Wednesday evening held a rare inside-the-briefing-room news conference to urge Americans to wash their hands and “stay clean” in case the coronavirus in the U.S. gets worse, something he said is “not inevitable.”
Flanked by his vice president, the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director Anne Schuchat and the National Institutes of Health’s Anthony Fauci, Trump had no new information to share not already imparted elsewhere while emphasizing his hope that the U.S. may escape a severe outbreak.
“I don’t think it’s inevitable,” that the U.S. will see a more serious spread of the virus, Trump said. “I think that there’s a chance that it could get worse … fairly substantially worse, but nothing’s inevitable.”
He said he is willing to accept more money from Congress than he asked for, that Brazil’s one new confirmed case is not as much a problem as Italy’s outbreak and repeated that ordinary influenza, in contrast to the corona virus, is expected to kill tens of thousands of Americans this flu season.
Trump said he is not lifting the current travel blockage for non-U.S. travelers from China, the two-week quarantine requirements for others, the airport screenings and may add more restrictions, leaving the impression he may have been referring to Italy.
Trump also punched back at criticism from whom he said is an “incompetent” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, saying they should instead be working together with the administration.
“She’s trying to create a panic and there’s no reason to panic because we have done so good,” he said. “I think speaker Pelosi’s incompetent. She lost the Congress once, I think she’s going to lose it again” after lifting “my poll numbers up 10 points.”
Vice President Mike Pence is now leading the anti-virus effort, he said, not HHS’s Alex Azar, though he said both men will work together. Azar in turn said White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney has been a big help and added a clarification that he is still chairman of the task force.
Trump, asked whether staffing is thin among relevant posts in the administration said he is “building” more staff for the effort although he said he doesn’t like “thousands” of people around who aren’t doing anything.
Of the 15 confirmed cases in the U.S., “Eight of them have returned to their homes to stay in their homes until fully recovered, one is in the hospital and five have fully recovered and one is, we think, is in pretty good shape.”
Trump refused to go along with one questioner’s contention China could have acted sooner to inform the world of the virus outbreak.
“We’ve had tremendous success beyond what people would have thought,” Trump said of the American anti-virus effort. “Now at the same time you do have some outbreaks in some countries. Italy and various countries are having some difficulty. China, – you know about where it started – I spoke with President Xi. We had a great talk. He’s working very hard.”
Trump said he was “really amazed and I think most people are amazed to hear the flu in our country kills from 25,000 people to 69,000 people a year. That was shocking to me. And so far if you look at what we have with the 15 people. And they’re recovering.”
Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director Schuchat was not quite as optimistic as Trump. “We do expect more cases and this is a good time to prepare,” she said.
She added that, “It’s the perfect time for businesses, health care systems, universities and schools to look at their pandemic preparedness plans, dust them off and make sure that they’re ready and we have lots more information at the CDC’s website.”
HHS’s Azar echoed Schuchat although in the context of what he said is an aggressive administration program to fight the virus.
“Our containment strategy has been working,” Azar said. “At the same time what every one of our experts and leaders have been saying for more than a month now remains true. The degree of risk has the potential to change quickly and we can expect to see more cases in the United States.”
The NIH’s Fauci said progress toward an effective vaccine may be faster than expected but nevertheless any vaccine will only be available against a return of the corona virus next season.
“It is quite conceivable that it will happen, will go beyond just a season and come back and recycle next year,” he said. “If that’s the case, we hope to have a vaccine.”
Eventually Trump did agree that schools should prepare for worse-case scenarios although repeatedly adding, “It may not come to that.”
Trump’s extended divergence into criticism of Pelosi and Schumer was accompanied by a renewed attack on the Federal Reserve.
“I disagree with the head of the Fed about I’m not happy with what that is because he’s kept interest rates up.”
He went on, the U.S. “should be paying the lowest interest rates and when Germany and other countries are paying negative rates, meaning they’re literally getting paid when they put out money.”
Trump said, “I think the stock market will recover” after the Dow lost more than 2,100 points in the past three days. “The economy is very strong, the consumer is the strongest it’s ever been.”
He suggested the flu may not be the only reason for the market plunge. ”I think financial markets are very upset when they look at the Democrat candidates standing on that stage making fools out of themselves,” he said.
“They’re going to destroy the Second Amendment,” he went on. “When people look at that, they say this is not good so you add that in. I really believe that’s a factor.”
Trump said that, “After I win the election I think this stock market’s going to boom like it’s never boomed before, just like it did, by the way, after I won the last election.”
Meanwhile, U.S. travelers are “not going to be going to certain countries where the problem is far greater than it is in the United States,” he said. “So instead of leaving our country, leaving our shores, they’ll stay here.”
As the press conference wore on, and Trump was asked whether he and his experts were really on the same page, he insisted that he was repeating their advice.
“I think every aspect of our society should be prepared. I don’t think it’s going to come to that.” He continued, “I think schools should be preparing and getting ready just in case – the words are just in case. We don’t think we’re going to be there. We don’t think we’re going to be anywhere close and again if you look at some countries, they are coming down” in the number of cases.
“You don’t want to see panic because there’s no reason to be panicked,” he said.
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Contact this reporter: denny@macenews.com