called his response to COVID-19 a Democrat hoax?

On February 28, 2020, Trump claimed at a South Carolina rally that COVID-19 was being politicized by Democrats, it being their “new hoax.” On that day, the US had 63 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Now the Democrats are politicizing the coranavirus. You know that, right? Coronavirus. They’re politicizing it. We did one of the great jobs, you see. How’s President Trump doing, they go, ‘oh not good, not good.’ They have no clue. They don’t have any clue… This is their new hoax.

Trump addressed his handling of the virus during the rally, and had made mention of it during his State of the Union address earlier in the month. His claim of a hoax was referring to criticisms about his administration’s handling of the virus rather than the virus itself.

About two months later, Trump later claimed that he said no such thing, and clarified that it was “Do Nothing Democrats” and the “Mainstream Media” that was the hoax.

On the day of his tweet, the United States had 960,651 confirmed cases and suffered 54,256 deaths.

Trump similarly spent the early months of the pandemic continually dismissing concerns about COVID-19.

Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States
NBC News – Trump calls coronavirus Democrats’ ‘new hoax’

threatened to shut down social media platforms after being flagged for misleading information?

Trump made the suggestion on Twitter, accusing it and other platforms of silencing conservative voices.

The remark came after another of Trump’s tweets was flagged for misinformation about mail-in ballots.

At the time of his remarks, the United States had just reached 100,000 deaths due to COVID-19.

Trump’s past tweets have been met with similar flags, such as one in which he posted an edited video of Biden. He has also claimed that he lost the 2016 popular vote because of mass fraud, and said that mail-in voting meant no Republican would win an election again.

Business Insider – Trump threatens to shut down social-media platforms after Twitter put a fact-check warning on his false tweets
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

dismissed COVID-19 across yet another month? (timeline pt. 3)

As with the first and second timelines, COVID-19 case numbers for this post are taken from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/, and there may be a lag between Trump’s statements and the day’s reported numbers.

Apr. 20 – 808,540 US cases, 43,632 US deaths. 2.5 million cases and 173,000 deaths worldwide.

Now we’re going toward 50 – I’m hearing, or 60,000 people. One is too many. I always say it. One is too many, but we’re going toward 50 or 60,000 people. That’s at the lower – as you know the lower (end of the projections) was supposed to be 100,000 people.

Trump compares a testing swab to a Q-Tip.

This is what it’s about, right? Does it remind you of something? Reminds you of this, right? One’s a swab, one’s a Q-Tip. It’s actually different. It’s very sophisticated, actually.

Apr. 21 – 835,402 cases, 46,380 deaths. Trump again brags about his press conference’s ratings, again comparing them to The Bachelor.

Apr. 22 – 866,683 cases, 48,790 deaths. Trump shuts down immigration via Executive Order.

Apr. 23 – 898,081 cases, 51,191 deaths. Trump proposes investigating whether using UV light and injecting disinfectants could combat COVID-19.

So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether its ultraviolet or just very powerful light… And I then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute, and is there a way you can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning

Apr. 24 – 934,555 cases, 53,183 deaths.

Trump says he made comments about UV light and injecting disinfectant “sarcastically.”

Apr. 25 – 969,206 cases, 55,295 deaths.

Trump defends himself from charges that he had called coronavirus a Democrat hoax.

Apr. 26 – 995,057 cases, 56,467 deaths.

Apr. 27 – 1,018,913 cases, 57,871 deaths.

Trump brushes off reports of people taking his former suggestions about using UV light and injecting disinfectant seriously.

I can’t imagine why [people are ingesting disinfectants].

Apr. 28 – 1,044,752 cases, 60,406 deaths. COVID-19 deaths now surpass all US deaths from the Vietnam War.

Apr. 29 – 1,073,600 cases, 62,852 deaths.

It’s going to go. It’s going to leave. It’s going to be gone. It’s going to be eradicated.

Trump repeats past claims that Joe Scarborough is a murderer.

Apr. 30 – 1,104,914 cases, 65,127 deaths.

We did a spectacular job…

Trump again warns against mass voter fraud, which he previously claimed is why he lost the 2016 popular vote.

May 1 – 1,141,084 cases, 67,077 deaths. Trump replaces watchdog who identified critical medical shortages and threatens China with new tariffs as retaliation for COVID-19.

May 2 – 1,170,057 cases, 68,809 deaths.

Hopefully we’re going to come in under that 100,000 lives lost.

May 3 – 1,196,402 cases, 69,985 deaths.

We’re going to lose anywhere from 75, 80 to 100,000 people. That’s a horrible thing.

May 5 – 1,247,549 cases, 73,733 deaths. Trump discusses shutting down the coronavirus response team.

Trump complains about aggressive reporters.

Paula Reid, she’s sitting there and I say, ‘How angry. I mean, What’s the purpose?’ They’re not even tough questions, but you see the attitude of these people, it’s like incredible.

Trump tours a mask facility without wearing a mask, while the song Live and Let Die plays over the loudspeakers.

I think it’s a mask facility, right? If it’s a mask facility, I will. Yeah. I don’t know if it’s a mask facility.

May 6 – 1,273,101 cases, 76,312 deaths. Signs Proclamation in Recognition of National Nurses Day.

Trump speaks on Dr. Bright, a vaccine expert who was fired for pushing back against the unproven drugs Trump promoted.

I never met Dr. Bright. I don’t know who he is. I didn’t hear good things about him. I did not hear good things about him at all. To me, he seems like a disgruntled employee that’s trying to help the Democrats.

Trump reversed prior remarks on dissolving the coronavirus response team.

I thought we could wind it down sooner. But I had no idea how popular the task force is until, actually, yesterday when I started talking about winding it down.

May 7 – 1,302,758 cases, 78,485 deaths. The Department of Justice drops charges against former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn.

May 8 – 1,331,927 cases, 80,202 deaths.

This is why the whole concept of tests aren’t necessarily great. The tests are perfect, but something can happen between a test where it’s good and then something happens and all of the sudden.

May 9 – 1,357,470 cases, 81,656 deaths.

May 10 – 1,377,665 cases, 82,872 deaths. Trump tweets over 100 times during Mother’s Day.

May 11 – 1,397,037 cases, 83,948 deaths. Trump storms out of press conference.

May 15 – 1,498,606 cases, 91,154 deaths.

Joe has absolutely no idea what’s happening. AOC is a disaster. She wants all fossil fuel out. She wants everything out. She wants wind, which is expensive — kills all the birds. You know, I’m also an environmentalist. But wind is a disaster.

May 16 – 1,522,117 cases, 92,396 deaths.

We used to make our own product, would you believe it? We used to make our product, right. We don’t need 37 pencils, we can buy two pencils, and make them be better.

Trump tweets a video of himself giving the Presidential speech from the 1996 film Independence Day.

May 17 – 1,541,642 cases, 93,280 deaths.

Vaccine or no vaccine, we’re back.

CNN – April 21 coronavirus news
The Independent – Trump revises coronavirus deaths prediction to ‘hopefully’ under 100,000
Vanity Fair – Trump Casually Doubles the Number of Americans He’d Be Okay Losing to the Coronavirus
Forbes – ‘I Can’t Imagine Why’: Trump Denies Responsibility For Spike In Disinfectant Emergency Calls
The Hill – Trump says coronavirus will be ‘eradicated’
The New York Times – Trump Moves to Replace Watchdog Who Identified Critical Medical Shortages
New York Magazine – Trump to Boost Confidence in Handling Second Wave As First Still Rages: Report
The Independent – Trump tweets more than 100 times in one day as coronavirus death toll nears 80,000
The New York Times – Trump Foresees Virus Death Toll as High as 100,000 in the United States
Business Insider – Trump says Biden has ‘no idea what’s happening’ seconds before claiming that AOC ‘wants wind’ that ‘kills all the birds’
MSNBC – Trump declares ‘vaccine or no vaccine, we’re back,’ as coronavirus deaths approach 90,000
National Geographic – U.S. coronavirus deaths now surpass fatalities in the Vietnam War

tweeted a video of himself giving a Presidential speech from a movie?

The scene was from the 1996  film Independence Day. The tweet was derided for showing such an absence of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic that the President had to co-opt the message of a fictitious President.

The actor from the scene, Bill Pullman, said of the tweet that “My voice belongs to no one but me.”

Vanity Fair – Bill Pullman Tells Donald Trump to Keep His Memes To Himself

touted a new “super-duper missile”?

In May of 2020, Trump boasted of a new missile under development, which he described as a “super duper missile” that travels “17 times faster than what they have right now.” While Trump promised that it would provide leverage over Russia and China, the Pentagon had no comment.

The remark came amid Trump’s unveiling of early details about the US Space Force, the first new military branch established since the US Air Force in 1947.

Trump continued to tout the missile throughout the year.

The Hill – Trump touts new ‘super-duper’ missile that can allegedly travel 17 times faster than current missiles
AP News – Space Force unveils flag; Trump touts ‘super-duper missile’
Popular Mechanics – What Is Trump’s ‘Super Duper Missile’?: An Investigation

was intrigued by a boy being thrown a block by a tornado?

On March 2-3, 2020, a tornado outbreak ravaged parts of western and central Tennessee. 25 people died and over 300 were injured.

On March 6, Trump visited the area to survey the damage.

Marine One over tornado ravaged neighborhoods in Tennessee. White House / Shealah Craighead

Trump brought up one of survivors, a young boy who had been thrown from his home by the tornado.

THE PRESIDENT: They just — all of a sudden, they’re watching television or something and, all of a sudden, they’re outside, walking on the street.

There was one young boy, I heard he was taken out of the house and —

 

MAYOR PORTER: He was. One minute he’s in his house, the next minute he’s laying in his yard. It happened that fast.

 

THE PRESIDENT: A couple of blocks away.

 

MAYOR PORTER: Yes.

Trump returned to the subject of the boy again just a few minutes later, making gestures of his spinning in the air and clumsily navigating being told he was the sole survivor from his family.

THE PRESIDENT …A lot of them have lost people within the family. One family got entirely wiped out. There was one case, though — I heard a young man was — an 8-year-old boy was ripped out, flown to a certain area, and dropped off at the street two or three blocks away. And they found him walking. And he said, “I just flew in the air.” And he was walking down the street two blocks away from his home. And how did his parents do? Do you know?

 

MAYOR PORTER: We don’t — we’re not for sure exactly how they turned up.

 

MR. HERRICK: They were found deceased.

 

THE PRESIDENT: They were deceased? They were dead.

 

MR. HERRICK: (Inaudible) only surviving member of the household, and lost his sibling as well.

 

THE PRESIDENT: So it took him and he said, “I was carried by the air, away from my house.” He came back. But his —

 

MR. HERRICK: He was (inaudible) the house over there and dropped him in the neighborhood back behind us.

 

THE PRESIDENT: He was over there. And his parents were killed.

 

MAYOR PORTER: And sister.

 

THE PRESIDENT: And his sister. So we’re going to go see some of the folks.

NPR – ‘We Love Them’: Trump Tours And Consoles Tornado-Ravaged Tennessee
Whitehouse.gov – Remarks by President Trump After Surveying Tornado Damage | Cookeville, TN
Wikipedia – Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2020

tweeted over 100 times on Mother’s Day?

On May 10, 2020, Trump tweeted 125 times between 6:02:49 AM and 9:54:57 PM. That is a tweet on average of every 7.6 minutes.

Most were retweets related to the Justice Department’s recent dropping of charges against Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. Trump also alleged that Obama had targeted Flynn and his administration, though no details were specified.

Trump also boasted of his ratings in handling COVID-19, and attacked Obama’s handling of H1N1. On May 10, the US had suffered over 80,000 COVID-19 deaths. 93 Americans died as a result of H1N1.

One tweet was related to Mother’s Day, though it made no mention of the three mothers to his five children.

Trump Twitter Archive
Biospace – Compare: 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Versus the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

proposed using UV light and disinfectant to combat COVID-19 in patients?

During an April 23 press conference, Trump suggested investigating if light, whether ultraviolet or “just very powerful light,” and injecting disinfectant, may be remedies to COVID-19.

So I asked Bill a question some of you are thinking of if you’re into that world, which I find to be pretty interesting. So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether its ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said, that hasn’t been checked but you’re gonna test it. And then I said, supposing it brought the light inside the body, which you can either do either through the skin or some other way, and I think you said you’re gonna test that too, sounds interesting.

 

And I then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute, and is there a way you can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it’d be interesting to check that. So you’re going to have to use medical doctors, but it sounds interesting to me, so we’ll see. But the whole concept of the light, the way it goes in one minute, that’s pretty powerful.

Dr. Deborah Birx, Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House COVID-19 task force, was on camera during the remarks.

The FDA and makers of Lysol issued statements warning against ingesting disinfectants. Trump previously promoted unproven drug treatments and continually dismissed COVID-19 concerns.

At the time of his remarks, the United States had over 860,000 cases and 50,000 deaths.

Trump later claimed that his remarks were sarcastic:

I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen.

Multiple reports followed of people ingesting bleach and other chemicals to combat the virus. The Republican Governor of Maryland and Democratic Governor of Michigan noted that they’d received hundreds of calls asking about whether it was safe to do so, though Trump said he couldn’t imagine why.

The New York Times – Makers of Lysol Warn Against Ingesting Disinfectants
CNN – Don’t eat or inject yourself with disinfectant, warns FDA commissioner
The Hill – Trump says remarks about heat, light, disinfectant were sarcastic
CBS 46 – Georgia men reportedly drink bleach, Pine-sol and more to prevent Covid-19
The Hill – Calls to poison control centers spike after Trump disinfectant comments

COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

dismissed COVID-19 across another month? (timeline pt. 2)

As the COVID-19 pandemic began, Trump went from “It’s going to be just fine” to “I’ve felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic” in 56 days. As with that first timeline, COVID-19 case numbers for this post are taken from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/, and there may be a lag between Trump’s statements and the day’s reported numbers.

Mar. 18 – 10,091 total US cases, 171 deaths.

It’s not racist at all. No. Not at all. It comes from China. That’s why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate.

Mar. 19 – 14,896 cases, 240 deaths. Trump promotes unproven drug treatments, falsely claiming that it has been approved by the FDA for COVID-19.

And we’re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately, and that’s where the FDA has been so great. They – they’ve gone through the approval process. It’s been approved.

Mar. 20 – 20,873 cases, 310 deaths. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo orders all non-essential businesses to keep their workers home. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issues a “stay-at-home” order. Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, and others follow.

Mar. 21 – 25,969 cases, 376 deaths.

Mar. 22 – 33,745 cases, 512 deaths.

Mar. 23 – 46,433 cases, 693 deaths.

You look at automobile accidents, which are far greater than any numbers we’re talking about. That doesn’t mean we’re going to tell everybody no more driving of cars. So we have to do things to get our country open.

Mar. 24 – 58,021 cases, 962 deaths.

Ultimately the goal is to ease the guidelines…Easter is our timeline, what a great timeline that would be.

Mar. 25 – 71,638 cases, 1,269 deaths. 3.3 million Americans file for unemployment.

Mar. 26 – 89,513 cases, 1,629 deaths. The United States now leads the world in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Our country has to go back. Our country is based on that. And I think it’s going to happen pretty quickly. A lot of progress is made, but we’ve got to get back to work.

Mar. 27 – 108,537 cases, 2,131 deaths.

You call it a germ, you can call it a flu, you can call it a virus. You know, you can call it many different names. I’m not sure anybody even knows what it is.

Mar. 28 – 127,827 cases, 2,781 deaths.

Mar. 29 – 147,921 cases, 3,283 deaths. Trump brags about TV ratings.

Mar. 30 – 171,640 cases, 3,150 deaths. American deaths from COVID-19 surpass 9/11.

Apr. 1 – 224,651 cases, 6,465 deaths.

Did you know I was number one on Facebook?

Apr. 2 – 255,276 cases, 7,676 deaths. Global cases reaches 1 million. Another 6.6 million Americans file for unemployment.

Apr. 4 – 322,790 cases, 10,537 deaths. More American deaths than those from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) combined.

I may take [hydroxychloroquine]. I’ll have to ask my doctors about that. But I may take it.

Maybe we could allow special, for churches, maybe we could talk about it. Maybe we could allow them, with great separation outside, on Easter Sunday. I don’t know, it’s something we should talk about.

Apr. 6 – 381,262 cases, 13,488 deaths. Trump interjects during a question for Dr. Fauci about hydroxychloroquine.

I answered this 15 times. You don’t have to answer.

Apr. 7 – 415,992 cases, 15,755 deaths. Trump echoes past claims of fraud with mail-in voting.

Mail-in voting is horrible, it’s corrupt…sure I could vote by mail, because I’m allowed to.

Trump falsely claims in a Hannity interview that the US is not experiencing a shortage of beds and ventilators.

The good thing is that the number of beds needed, I think we were right about that. I was right. My group was right.

I just saw on your show and a couple of other people just reported back to me that everyone is in great shape from the standpoint of ventilators, which are very hard, because they’re expensive and they’re big and like — it’s, you know — it’s — and they’re very high-tech.

Apr. 8 – 448,806 cases, 17,966 deaths. Trump threatens to halt WHO funding.

They really called every aspect of it wrong…recently social media said they seem to be very China-centric.

Apr. 9 – 482,724 cases, 20,113 deaths. An additional 6.6 million Americans file for unemployment. The Federal Reserve announces a stimulus of $2,300,000,000,000 ($2.3 trillion).

Apr. 10 – 517,010 cases, 22,394 deaths. Trump administration limits COVID-19 reporting requirements to healthcare industry employers.

This is a very brilliant enemy. You know, it’s a brilliant enemy. They develop drugs like the antibiotics. You see it. Antibiotics used to solve every problem. Now one of the biggest problems the world has is the germ has gotten so brilliant that the antibiotic can’t keep up with it… We’re fighting – not only is it hidden, but it’s very smart, okay? It’s invisible and it’s hidden, but it’s – it’s very smart.

Apr. 11 – 546,923 cases, 24,460 deaths. The United States now leads the world in COVID-19 deaths. Reports surface of Trump asking Dr. Fauci, “Why don’t we let this wash over the country?”

Apr. 12 – 573,092 cases, 26,215 deaths.

Apr. 13 – 600,825 cases, 27,963 deaths. Trump plays video in White House briefing room titled “The media minimized the risk from the start.” He claims total authority over state governors.

Well I have the ultimate authority. President of the United States has the authority to do what the President has the authority to do, which is very powerful.

Trump spars with a reporter over a gap in actions taken February.

You’re so disgraceful. It’s so disgraceful the way you say that…nobody thought we should do it, and when I did it, you know what we did? You know what we did? What do you do when you have no case in the whole United States…zero cases zero deaths on January 17. …we did a lot. Look, look, you know you’re a fake, you know that, your whole network is fake.

Apr. 14 – 629,827 cases, 30,592 deaths. Trump halts US funding to the WHO.

Apr. 16 – 691,619 cases, 35,537 deaths. Another 5.2 million Americans file for unemployment, totaling approximately 22 million. Trump declines to speak out against protests in Michigan and other states against closures and social distancing.

There’s death and there’s problems in staying at home, too. It’s not just isn’t it wonderful to stay at home. They’re having – they’re suffering. This country wasn’t built on that principle, it was built on an exact opposite principle, actually. And I watched in one particular state where they were, they want to get back, the want to get back… I think they listen to me, they seem to be protesters that like me, and respect this opinion, and my opinion is the same as all the governors. They all want to open.

Apr. 17 – 724,900 cases, 38,134 deaths. Trump tweets in response to reports of protests against state closures, even citing the 2nd Amendment, though he has suggested taking guns without due process.

The timeline is continued here.

Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States
Politico – Trump on ‘Chinese virus’ label: ‘It’s not racist at all’
AP News – AP FACT CHECK: Trump falsely claims drug approval for virus
Whitehouse.gov – Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing
Politifact – Timeline: How Donald Trump responded to the coronavirus pandemic
NPR – 3.3 Million File Unemployment Claims, Shattering Records
Politico – Trump triggers Defense Production Act for the first time
USA Today – Another 6.6M Americans file for unemployment benefits as layoffs show no letup
Department of Defense – CASUALTY STATUS as of 10 a.m. EDT April 13, 2020
The New York Times – President Trump’s Prime-Time Pandemic
The Wall Street Journal – U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Passes Italy, Becoming World’s Highest
CNN – The 24 most wildly irresponsible lines from Donald Trump’s latest interview with Sean Hannity
Forbes – The Fed Will Pump Another $2.3 Trillion Into The Economy. Here’s Why This Time Is Different
Occupational Safety and Health Administration – Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
The Washington Post – Trump administration has many task forces — but still no plan for beating covid-19
Politico – Trump halts funding to World Health Organization
Fortune – 22 million have lost their jobs over the past month—real unemployment rate likely nearing 18%
Business Insider – Fox News host defended anti-lockdown protesters carrying Confederate flags and falsely accused Michigan’s governor of calling them Nazis

limited COVID-19 reporting requirements to the healthcare industry?

On April 10, Trump’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) changed its COVID-19 reporting requirements to include only those in the healthcare industry. The loosening of requirements are not to apply if:

(1) There is objective evidence that a COVID-19 case may be work-related; and (2) the evidence was reasonably available to the employer.”

The OSHA statement explains that this is to allow employers to focus on prevention rather than making “difficult work-related decisions” amid community transmission:

This enforcement policy will help employers focus their response efforts on implementing good hygiene practices in their workplaces, and otherwise mitigating COVID-19’s effects, rather than on making difficult work-relatedness decisions in circumstances where there is community transmission.

David Michaels, epidemiologist and public health professor at The George Washington University who served as head of OSHA between 2009 and 2017, shared his disbelief on Twitter.

Jordan Barab, former OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary between 2009 and 2017, also criticized the decision. Barab noted that the eased restrictions removes responsibility from employers on determining and managing COVID-19 infections, potentially jeopardizing worker’s compensation claims.

On the day of the announcement, the United States had a total of over 500,000 cases and 18,000 deaths.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration – Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
USA Today – ‘Shocking and disheartening’: OSHA faces criticism for failing to protect workers amid the coronavirus
Wikipedia – David Michaels (epidemiologist)
LinkedIn – Jordan Barab 
Wikipedia – Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States

More assuredly to come soon

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