As Trump Attempts to Spin Away His Historic Failure to Combat the Coronavirus, Here Are Five Questions He Needs to Answer at Today’s Press Conference
1. New reporting this week shows that the Chinese government has been systematically misleading the world about the coronavirus -- including hiding the number of deaths and delaying the release of critical information about its severity -- so why did you praise President Xi for his “transparency” and spend months lauding China’s response?
Just today, we learned that the death toll in Wuhan is at least 50% higher than previously reported and a stunning report in the Associated Press earlier this week showed that President Xi Jinping and Chinese officials waited almost a week to inform their citizens about the severity of the coronavirus.
Instead of taking swift action to get the facts on the ground and prepare America for the coronavirus, Trump praised Xi Jinping for his work and his “transparency” and repeatedly complimented China’s response.
In stark contrast, Vice President Biden joined the intelligence community in repeatedly warning Trump not to buy China’s and to take steps to prepare America to combat the coronavirus.
2. You’re pushing the country to re-open quickly even as the number of coronavirus tests completed plateaus at a pace far below what is needed -- why aren’t you taking steps to increase our testing capabilities?
Axios reports today that testing numbers continue to plateau “at a number that falls far short of what experts say is needed” -- making it impossible for states and health care workers on the frontlines of the fight against the coronavirus to combat and contain its spread.
Trump’s initial failure to quickly develop and roll out an effective and reliable test resulted in a ‘lost month’ and left America blind as the virus spread rapidly within the United States. And, despite Trump’s false promises that “anybody that wants a test can get a test” and him claiming to governors that testing is no longer an issue, there remain nationwide shortages and delays.
3. Why haven’t you directed OSHA to do everything in its power to deal with workplace health concerns related to coronavirus, even though a new report today finds that thousands of complaints have been filed about unsafe conditions?
A new report yesterday from the Washington Post finds that thousands of complaints have been filed with OSHA by workers in response to unsafe working conditions because of the coronavirus. The complaints detail callous indifference by many employers to the health and safety of their employees -- including by refusing to provide basic equipment or put in place measures to mitigate the risk of infection.
The Trump Administration has only started enforcement efforts this week and is still refusing to do everything it can and should to protect workers’ health and safety. Vice President Biden has called for OSHA to take immediate action to strengthen safety standards and improve oversight to keep frontline workers safe and ensure that they can continue supporting our communities.
4. Why are health care workers at the VA being forced to violate federal guidelines by reporting for work even if they test positive for COVID-19 while remaining asymptomatic -- a problem exacerbated by the need to ration and re-use personal protective equipment as they fight the coronavirus -- putting both themselves and the veterans they serve at risk?
New reporting by the New York Times finds widespread shortages of personal protective equipment for health care workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs -- with workers being forced to re-use gear, and with more than 1,600 employees with confirmed coronavirus cases.
Beyond being denied basic equipment, workers at the VA also reportedly have previously been instructed to report to work even if they test positive for the coronavirus but are asymptomatic -- something in contravention of federal guidelines.
Trump, meanwhile, continues to make false claims about his failure to get equipment to first-responders, claiming Monday at a press briefing that states had adequate supplies -- a claim that a CNN fact check found to be false, with both Democratic and Republican governors continuing to press the White House for more equipment.
5. Why are you allowing banks to seize stimulus checks earmarked for working families who are struggling financially?
A report in the American Prospect earlier this week found that the Trump’s Treasury Department is allowing banks and debt collectors to seize stimulus checks destined for working families who are struggling to make ends meet in the middle of a pandemic.
Treasury regulators have refused to take action to protect these payments and ensure that they make it to the pockets of Americans in need, who are already facing unprecedented financial challenges.
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