The Trump administration has proven slow, at best, to respond to the Coronavirus threat, which has already claimed the lives of well over 10,000 Americans — and now, one of their most frequently publicly visible spokespeople is publicly lying that there was no forewarning of the present crisis. Despite reported weeks and months of briefings about potential looming catastrophe, Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow insisted in a CNBC appearance this week that no one could have predicted the present disaster. The net effect of that lie, of course, is an attempt to make the president look like something other than an incompetent fool, because as recently as late February, he belligerently proclaimed that Coronavirus concern was a hoax.
except literally everyone who studied it. https://t.co/1vjfOQh6ng
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) April 6, 2020
Kudlow tried to defend the president’s dismissal and inaction in the context of a discussion of the rapidly growing bill for dealing with the Coronavirus crisis, which has driven the shutdown of large portions of the economy amidst attempts to use social distancing to stop the spread of the virus. Trillions of dollars have already been pledged to the response effort.
A host commented to Kudlow:
‘Sometimes I wonder why we didn’t just spend it originally and put in infrastructure that we needed all over this country years ago!’
Kudlow didn’t quite acknowledge that perhaps preparation could have been a good idea. Instead, he suggested there was no way to know the present needs would ever emerge at all — despite the repeated and ample warnings that the president and his team ignored over and over again.
The president’s adviser insisted:
‘I’m seeing things I never thought I’d see, and I’m seeing an urgency, and just a sense of being helpful. It goes back to something President Trump said several weeks ago — that he would use the full powers of the federal government, the full powers of the federal government, to deal with this, and I know all of us have said we will do whatever it takes to get through this incredible emergency. I think that’s the commitment.’
Pompous commitments to whatever don’t make up for the failures to secure adequate lifesaving medical supplies that have unfolded around the country, weeks and even months into the crisis.
Kudlow continued:
‘I don’t believe anybody could have predicted the exponential rise of this, but whatever, we are doing everything we can to do it.’
“But whatever”? Over 10,000 Americans are dead, and Kudlow’s response to the idea that at least some of the carnage could have been avoided is “but whatever”?
Watch below:
There’s already been talk of a potential 9/11 style investigative commission to look into response failures after the crisis concludes. Sure, Trump has recently employed a somber “tone” when discussing projections of potentially looming death tolls, but that doesn’t even come close to making up for his even still continuing dismissals of the severity of the crisis. Trump has even suggested without any evidence whatsoever that medical personnel are hoarding supplies and don’t really need as much as they claim. Thousands have died in New York City alone, and Trump is spending his time nitpicking requests for help.
