Reality of Coronavirus Not Allowed To Rain on Donald Trump's Parade

[RelentlessOnanism]

Thousands of people are going to die, Trump knows he'll be blamed and he can already see his campaign circling the toilet. Those realizations were all over Donald Trump’s face on Wednesday night as he addressed the nation from the Oval Office. His speech was monotonal, his face so frozen with failure and fear that he looked like the product of taxidermy. He knows he is staring into the maw of a beast he can’t control. It’s going to be impossible to tweet away all the deaths that are coming, and he is terrified.

The question that sprang to mind as I watched him epically fuck up the most important moment of his presidency was this: What’s going to happen when the numbers of coronavirus deaths begin to climb, and his numbers begin to tank?

They will.

He’s not going to be able to stop the pandemic from killing thousands of Americans, and this lawless maniac is capable of anything. With the NBA and Major League Baseball suspending their seasons, with “March Madness” canceled, with concerts and festivals and parades canceled, Broadway theaters closed, schools shuttered from coast to coast, and the fact that we have no idea how long the coronavirus epidemic will last, Donald Trump is fully capable of making plans to cancel the election in November to save himself.

Trump is sitting there in the White House and, as dense as he is, even he can see that every day that passes, indeed every hour that ticks by, is another marker in his long downhill slide. His poll numbers are destined for the tank. He’s going to look into the unblinking eye of the camera day after day during this crisis, and it will be right there on his face that he is clueless and afraid. His ability to “drive the narrative” is over. “Fake news” caught up with him. There is nothing he can do with his tweets and lies to stop what’s about to happen to him, and to us.

The tragedy is that it didn’t have to be this way. Republicans in the Senate had a chance to rid us of Trump, but they were too afraid of him to act. Now we’re stuck with this monster. Their craven cowardice and disregard of the truth is going to cost us dearly. Companies will go bankrupt. People will lose their life savings, their houses and, sadly, their lives because this man is in the White House.

His re-election campaign is in the emergency room waiting to see a doctor, but they’re all busy treating the people who are sick or dying from his criminal negligence, cruelty, ignorance and shame. It’s only March, and Trump already needs a respirator. He’s finished. He’s a dead man stumbling toward a certain political grave — and the brutal judgment of history that he is the worst president this nation has ever had.

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/we...d-donald-trump/?utm_source=push_notifications

I'd like to think you're right (apart from the thousands of people dying, of course), but Trump seems to have a remarkable capacity to glide past things and not get the blame he deserves. I think if this turns out to be a major crisis, which crashes the economy, Trump's toast. But, this is America, and Americans often do crazy things.

 

[bodysong]

If Trump lies about everything, are grocery stores running out of
food and supplies ?

15 Mar 2020

3.34pm

Donald Trump held a telephone call with executives of grocery stores,
the White House said on Sunday, adding that supply chains in the
United States were strong and that it was unnecessary for citizens
to hoard daily essentials.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/l...n-uk-us-australia-italy-europe-global-economy

03/15/2020

Trump now needs the hospitals he's alienated

"...hospital leaders haven’t had time alone with President Donald Trump —
even as leaders of other health sectors, like the insurance industry,
the pharma industry and the lab industry, have been granted extended
face-to-face meetings with the president and Pence.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/14/trump-hospitals-coronavirus-129743

Trump seems to have installed men throughout all government systems
that are determined to put women back into Children, Kitchen, Church
mode. The Evangelical Christian effort focused on killing Planned
Parenthood and abortion rights has their strongest supporter in Trump.

The leaders of Evangelical Christian herds must be a bit miffed,
because their cash gathering operations are not operating at maximum
level-then, again, dead followers contribute no ready cash.
Did National Prayer Day 2020 pacify them ?

No large gatherings! No large audiences.

An annual National Day of Prayer normally takes place on
the first Thursday of May, which falls on May 7 this year,
although Trump has previously given other days the
designation during emergencies.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/progr...nal-day-of-prayer-against-coronavirus-crisis/


March 14, 2020

03/13/202

Trump administration rolls out new coronavirus push, names HHS testing czar

The testing czar is Admiral Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health,
and head of the government’s uniformed Public Health Service.
He will be responsible for coordinating between CDC and FDA,
as well as private labs and state and local governments.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/13/trump-coronavirus-testing-128048

 

[bodysong]

(Today, doctors and nurse were pleading for more respiration machines
to be manfactured.)

Elderly, end-stage cancer patients might get lower priority
for ventilators under some state pandemic plans

March 15, 2020

For now, the number of U.S. cases is limited — 3,244 confirmed
coronavirus infections and 62 deaths as of Sunday — and hospitals
still have capacity to handle more sick if the virus’ spread is slowed
using strategies like social distancing. But the situation is evolving
quickly and experts say it’s impossible to predict how many people
might become seriously ill and whether they could overwhelm the
system’s capacity..

The plan’s basic outlines are simple and “fairly draconian,”
Rosoff explained. “If you are in respiratory failure and there
is a ventilator available and an ICU bed, and you meet certain
medical criteria, you go on the ventilator. You have a certain
amount of time to get better. If you don’t, we’ll take you off
and give it to someone else.”

“If you take it off someone who is not doing very well,” he added,
“the reality is they die.”

(As it is, people likely suffering with the effects of coronavirus
are sent home- CDC is still keeping to the rules of contact with
known carrier, and international travel, even though many victims
are infected by community contact. The victims are refused an
opportunity to be tested- and be treated! This is not how the medical
system should be reacting- we are waging a war against a disease,
and there are no field hospitals, there are no medical troops mobilized.

This isn't right! Instead, we have decisions steered by Jared Kushner,
who, so far, has not spoken to any of the medical teams.)

Deadly serious-

Such situations could be especially agonizing as family members
may be absent due to the risk of contagion.

“We have very effective means of making that a comfortable,
peaceful death,” he said.

Daugherty Biddison said the pandemic may affect how
some patients think about end-of-life decisions, such as
do-not-resuscitate orders.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/15/coronavirus-rationing-us/

 

[bodysong]

The doctors and nurses pleading for help, have their answer-

ICU beds, respirators, good masks for the staff ?

Monday, March 16, 2020

Trump to Governors:

'Try Getting It Yourselves'-
If You Need Life-Saving Equipment to Fight Coronavirus

As the Times reports:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/world/coronavirus-news.html#link-608173f0

The suggestion surprised some of the governors, who have been
scrambling to contain the outbreak and are increasingly looking
to the federal government for help with equipment, personnel
and financial aid.

(in phone conference)

The specific comments, in addition to the reporting on Trump's call
with the governors overall, received immediate rebuke:

Every word of this is in contention for the “most fucked up things
I have ever heard” award, and yes it’s Trump (talking to goverors)

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) March 16, 2020

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2...elves-if-you-need-life-saving-equipment-fight

Final answer from Trump's team of goons- We will Austerity-The-Fuck
out of everything, as soon as possible.

 

[hogjack]

As the Times reports:

The once-revered-now-shit New York Times has issued more apologies for completely inaccurate stories than a hooker has done contacting clients about the STD they failed to mention in their last encounter.

The Times was highly regarded for decades of insightful journalism. Now only the high believe any of the crap they spew.

 

[KeithD]

Speaking of lacking any credibility . . .

 

[hogjack]

Speaking of lacking any credibility . . .

Unmatched insight from "Key West" (aka small town in Idaho*).

* Not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

[bodysong]

bodysong comment-
Fuck! Today, Trump displayed a major example of re-vision
Even FUX TV dropped a heavy hint that a major re-vison of
the continuing Party Line is due today- the old switcheroo.

The Trump loyalists are going full George Orwell-

Switching from Trump's message that coronavirus was just a harmless
flu, that is so mild, that anyone could go to work, even if they are
infected. Trump's propaganda was that Democrats are blowing up
the threat of the seriousness of coronavirus, just to gain political points.

It is flu, just flu, Trump tweeted. Don't worry, be happy, have fun, spend money.

A bit of an alteration to the messaging, after Trump was called out on
spreading dis-information- Trump declared that he did not know
that flu could kill people.

NEWEST propaganda-

"We have always taken the coronavirus seriously, and have taken action
since the very beginning."

bodysong comment-
Fat chance that Americans will swallow that lie.
Trump's operating mode is- waste no intellectual energy, send no help,
spend no money. Why send anything real ? A lie provides the psychological
illusion that there was help sent.
/end bodysong comment

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten,
every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has
been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing
day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped."

Trump's FUX TV Club in the White House, sharing employees, and messages-

Kellyanne Conway, Queen of Alternate Facts uses her hisband to
goad educated liberals and Democrats with a sharp stick- " We are
getting away with it, and there is nothing that you can do about it.
The badly educated and misinformed are blind to it, and we are
leading them to slaughter."

March 17, 2020

George Conway Nails Fox News For Its Terrible Coronavirus Coverage
With ‘1984’ Quote

“He accepted everything. The past was alterable.
The past never had been altered. Oceania was at war
with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.”

— George Conway (@gtconway3d) March 16, 2020

 

[Ireadforpleasure]

A DEADLY LACK OF LEADERSHIP

This is what it looks like when a crisis of leadership makes its way into our health and our homes, when lack of prudence induces panic, when the president himself cannot be trusted.

The coronavirus pandemic changes the view of Donald Trump’s incompetence, because this time it is intimate. This time what’s at stake isn’t abstract in the mind of the average American, like constitutional law or international relations. It is not far away, like families at the border or Nazis in Charlottesville. It is not about carnal and craven acts that take place between two people or are committed by one against another, like assaulting women or paying them off.

No, this is about all of us and all the things closest to us: our health and safety, our children and parents, our ability to move freely and sleep soundly, our ability to go to work and send our children to school. This is about our ability to participate in America’s two great religious non-religions: politics and sports.

This crisis is transcendent, which makes Trump’s disastrous approach to dealing with it all the more transparent.


The Trump administration finally appears to be taking this crisis seriously, after months of Trump himself trivializing and politicizing it. The virus was never a hoax or a media creation or a flash in the pan that would affect few and miraculously vanish.

But Trump, the supposed leader of the country, wasted precious time — weeks and weeks — telling the American public just that, while not taking the drastic measures that the government is now, belatedly, taking.

That puts lives in danger, and surely, in the end, will have cost lives.

America needs a leader; it has a lout.


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/opinion/coronavirus-trump-leadership.html

 

[JackLuis]

World WIde Covid-45 Tracking site!

Coronavirus Cases:
208,221

Deaths:
8,272

Recovered:
82,902

 

[bodysong]

18 March 2020

After invoking the Defense Production Act to help make up
for medical supplyshortages, Donald Trump walked back the
move, adding to the confusion surrounding his administration’s
coronavirus response-

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...088d75755960df#block-5e72a35e8f088d75755960df

Donald Trump’s walk-back of his decision to invoke the Defense
Production Act isn’t the first time he’s vacillated. The president’s
response to the pandemic has been hot and cold, writes Luke O’Neil:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...088d75755960df#block-5e72a35e8f088d75755960df

(Trump's boast about his abilities to "see" a pandemic before it existed.)

 

[bodysong]

The men and women from the CDC, HHS, and corporate America being
dragged before the cameras to serve as a backdrop for the daily press briefings
show it in their haunted eyes-

They know the CEO of this particular operation is President von Munchausen, (priceless!)
and that their jobs have been made infinitely more difficult by his ineptitude —
“Hey, let's put Jared in charge” said no one, ever—lies, delays, and the agitprop
culture war strategy of this White House.

Why is every part of the Trump media apparatus trying to drag the Democrats
into a culture war battle by calling the Coronavirus or COVID-19 the “Chinese Flu”
or the “Wu-Flu” or the “Kung-Flu”? It's because they understand that it's the last
refuge of the scoundrel culture they've created.

They want the MAGA base to have a political enemy to attack, and there's
nothing that pisses off Trump's followers more than being called racists,
even as they earn that merit badge over and over.

You Cheered as He Fucked Up. No Take Backs, Trumpists.

HECKUVA JOB

The virus doesn't follow him on Twitter. It does what it does,
and exploits time and complacency in its human hosts.
Trump gave it a six-week pass.

Rick Wilson Mar. 18, 2020

https://www.thedailybeast.com/

 

[bodysong]

In America, it is income inequality, and wealth that separates
which Americans have access to the most modern advanced
developments in medical technology, very best health care,
and those that get almost none, and the oldest and obsolete
technology.

Hard to get respirators and ventilators are being snapped up by
the wealthy, for their own private use.

/end bodysong comment

People with 'underlying conditions' are being treated as expendable.
But our lives matter

- Kathryn Hearn

The UK government’s treatment of the coronavirus outbreak has
in effect written off all of us with health issues

hey’ve had a coronavirus death at the local hospital – but they had underlying health conditions,” the Facebook thread ran, with group members piling in to offer a collective “phew”. It was hard to ignore the underlying sentiment being expressed: that those with underlying health conditions were going to die anyway, so what did it matter if Covid-19 took them now?

But here’s the thing – that death that doesn’t matter, it could be me. It could be your school pal. Your workmate. Your neighbour. We’ve all been merrily going about business as usual for years – you’d pass us in the street without noticing that we’re living with an ongoing health condition. And now we’re all being made to feel our lives don’t matter.

Where does this attitude come from? Ever since the first report of a coronavirus fatality in England, the government has been trying to calm nerves by stressing the victims’ poor health. The statement by the chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, announcing the death ran to four sentences, the third of which read: “The patient, who was being treated at the Royal Berkshire hospital, was an older patient who had underlying health conditions.”

Last week Boris Johnson blithely pronounced: “I must level with you, the British public. Many more families are going to lose their loved ones before their time.” I’m 53 – how much before my time is that?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/19/underlying-conditions-coronavirus-health

 

[bodysong]

bodysong comment-

Stage dressing, window dressing, and silent stage props,
to provide the false impression that something that is solid,
dependable, and trustworthy, will avert a complete coronavirus
catastrophe- but Trump provides nothing but a tragedy of failures,
and dereliction of duty.

Invisible gags on the mouths of public officials that have the ability,
training, and experience, to understand the coronavirus crisis, and
speak the truth to the American public- they do not dare to cross
Trump and his liars, and pay the price of caring about the innocent
lives that will be sacrificed to Trump's failures.

It is Trump's personal public relations team, laughably named the
Trump administration’s official coronavirus task force

Meanwhile, Trump holds the reputations, careers, and
personal objectives of qualified people hostage- Either
get onboard and swear loyalty to Trump over all else,
or get thrown overboard.

March 19, 2020

As the United States enters a critical phase in fighting the coronavirus
pandemic, the country’s leading public health agency, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, appears to be on the sidelines, with
its messages increasingly disrupted or overtaken by the White House.

CDC Director Robert Redfield did join a smaller briefing Wednesday afternoon,
for the first time since March 9. He and three other task force members stood
with President Trump and Vice President Pence for the day’s second task force
appearance. Trump and Pence were the only ones who spoke, and they took
no questions.

Pence took over the task force from Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar

Ever since Pence’s team took over the response, they have treated the outbreak
as a public relations crisis as much as a public health crisis and have tightly
managed communications of top health and administration officials,
officials have said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/heal...ncy-is-sidelined-during-coronavirus-pandemic/

Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner is doing separate missions to nurse
Trump's image, after coronavirus damage

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...038a16-6874-11ea-9923-57073adce27c_story.html

So Jared Kushner Is Running a “Shadow” Coronavirus Task Force

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/03/jared-kushner-shadow-coronavirus-task-force

March 19, 2020

“The job is to stay one step ahead,” Cameron said. “We’d not let things linger,”-
like the inaction that seemed to grip the administration when the first batch of
COVID-19 testing kits proved faulty. “Even if there was a lack of understanding
of what went wrong…we would have asked “are there other options?’

After it became clear that focusing on a containment strategy was not enough,
as dozens of cases were reported in several states, Trump did eventually decide
to move the response leadership back inside the White House.

He put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the administration’s
newly formed Coronavirus Task Force.

https://time.com/5806558/administration-officials-fight-criticism/

 

[bodysong]

Mar 19th, 2020

Former FEMA Chief Craig Fugate ripped out his earpiece and walked off
during an interview with Katy Tur on MSNBC on Thursday.
“I don’t have time to listen to bullshit, people.”

“The myth of a single person in charge taking control and running this is a myth.
“This is going to be dealt with on the front lines and local and state levels, and
each state is going to be addressing this unique to their systems. I’ve always
believed the best way the federal government can support governors is to get
out of their way, get them funding, use CDC to give guidance."

"As we’re running out of stuff, I’m asking, why are we not looking at
idle capabilities now and governors go contract for that? Why wait
for the federal government?”

- Former FEMA Chief Craig Fugate

“What your other guest is suggesting here is not helpful,” he said.
“We need a great partnership between the federal and state government.”

- Andy Slavitt – the former acting administrator for the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Barack Obama.

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-f...lls-bullsht-and-walks-off-interview-on-msnbc/

Trump to Governors on Ventilators: 'Try Getting It Yourselves'

'Try Getting It Yourselves,' Trump Tells Governors About Respirators

Trump tells governors seeking respirators and other medical equipment
to try getting it themselves

“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves,”
Trump told states amid a pandemic

https://www.salon.com/2020/03/16/tr...dical-equipment-to-try-getting-it-themselves/

Trump said “You know, we're not a shipping clerk.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/coro...0200320-nlwscqdwhjgtpozvfkczxdwubq-story.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-respirators.html

William Brockmann Long announced his resignation as FEMA Administrator,
was replaced by Peter T. Gaynor, the current FEMA director as of March 8, 2020
Millions of dollars have been removed from FEMA funding, to provide prison
camps for babies, children,and teens.

Peter Gaynor ✓
Twitter › FEMA_Pete

@FEMA is now leading federal operations for #COVID19
on behalf of the @WhiteHouse. As of this morning, we have
fully integrated the @HHSGov Crisis Action Task Force and
other federal partners with our National Response Coordination
Center operations.

18 hours ago

03/11/2020

The measure the president is expected to sign in the coming days
seems intended to bypass FEMA while still accessing the funds
in the agency's $40 billion disaster relief fund, the former FEMA
officials said.

The Stafford Act, Fugate said, is "not designed to do that," adding,
"Essentially what they are doing is transferring funds instead of
going to Congress for a supplemental [spending bill].”

Another former FEMA official agreed. “It’s a tortured attempt
to get programs authorized,” the ex-official said.
“He’s trying to raid disaster relief fund.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/11/trump-emergency-declaration-coronavirus-message-125902


March 13, 2020

Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic
Friday as public life in America continued to grind to a halt.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/13/coronavirus-latest-news/

 

[hogjack]

bodysong comment-
Fat chance that Americans will swallow that lie.

Do not claim to speak for what Americans will or will not swallow. Make your own swallowing decisions.

 

[bodysong]

20 Mar 2020

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo (took) questions from reporters
about how the State Department is addressing the coronavirus pandemic.
When Trump introduced Pompeo, he referred to the State Department as
the “Deep State Department.”

The derisive nickname appeared to prompt a baffled chuckle from
Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases.

Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO)

The president’s apparent anger on display as he used the derogatory
term “Deep State Department” and Dr Fauci reacted by putting his
hand over his face.

March 20, 2020

However, when Pompeo was asked about Trump’s use of the term,
the secretary shrugged off any concern and insisted the president
respects the diplomats carrying out America’s foreign policy.

(Touching your face was not safe, and Dr. Anthony Fauci did not
complete a facepalm- he just hid the expression on his face, from
the cameras that were present,)

March 20, 2020

Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases (NIH) sent two very different messages about a
potential coronavirus treatment. Trump said he was optimistic about using
a malaria drug as treatment for coroanvirus. (He said yesterday that the drug
had been approved for treating coronavirus, but that was not accurate.)
Fauci said the evidence of the drug’s benefits against coronavirus are
“anecdotal,” and it should not be viewed as some kind of miracle cure.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...sponse-republicans-stock-scandal-live-updates

Trump's FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn

March 20, 2020

https://www.wbur.org/npr/818855649/transcript-full-transcript-with-fda-commissioner-stephen-hahn

 

[bodysong]

Today, was Trump waiting to hear key words, so that he could take the opportunity,
to re-inforce his standard hate rally rant against the media, and amuse his fans ?

Earlier, I had read an opinion piece that said that this week's daily Trump rants
on the major TV networks, are a substitute for his weekly rally visits.

Did the reporter catch Trump off guard ? -when Trump does not have a ready
answer, he deflects, by attacking ?

President Trump gets into a heated exchange after NBC reporter
Peter Alexander asks him what he wants to say to scared Americans,
during a coronavirus press conference-

Mar 20th, 2020

The questioning grew tense when Alexander confronted Trump with
NIAID chief Dr. Anthony Fauci’s statement that “there is no magic drug”
for the coronavirus — a statement the president contested.

“Is it possible that your impulse to put a positive spin on things may
be giving Americans a false sense of hope and misrepresenting
preparedness right now?”

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/trump-c...avirus-questions-you-are-a-terrible-reporter/

Mar 20th, 2020

Alexander cited the data on coronavirus:

"200 dead, 14,000 sick in the United States."
“Millions, as you witnessed, who are scared right now."

"What do you say Americans who are watching you right now, who are scared?”

Trump’s response drilled right in at the only policy plank that has been consistent
across more than three years in power: “I say that you’re a terrible reporter, that’s
what I say. . . .

"I think that’s a very nasty question and I think it’s a very bad signal
that you’re putting out to the American people."

"The American people are looking for answers and they’re looking for hope.
And you’re doing sensationalism and the same with NBC and Concast.
I don’t call it Comcast, I call it ‘Concast.’Getting stronger with his delivery,
Trump said, “That’s really bad reporting,"

"You ought to get back to reporting instead of sensationalism.
Let’s see if it works. It might and it might not. I happen to feel
good about it, but who knows? I’ve been right a lot.”

At that point, Trump moved on to a question about the anti-viral drug from
(FUX) News correspondent John Roberts. As he took the question, he found
a moment to say to Alexander, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

(bodysong comment-I start to suspect that it as Trump set-up, because he
does not continue his attack-)

ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega said, “I would like to follow up on Peter’s
question here. Could you please issue, address Americans in this country
who are scared right now? This is a very valid concern that people have.”

CNN’s Collins later asked the president this question:
“You said the other day you see yourself as a wartime president right now,
leading the country through this pandemic that we’re experiencing.
Do you really think that going off on Peter, going off on a network,
is appropriate when the country is going through something like this?”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...melts-down-during-coronavirus-press-briefing/

bodysong comment- This gave Trump the opportunity to repeat a key
phrase that is the meat of his rally rants. Trump can depend on FUX TV
to continue to supply a substitute for the Live Hate Rally Experience

 

[bodysong]

"Me First!"
- Donald Trump, First American King of His Name, Goon Supreme

Washington lobbyists in frenzied battle to secure billion-dollar coronavirus bailouts

Lobbyists representing airlines, hotels, cruise lines and casinos are in a desperate
fight for cash – but what about ordinary workers?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/20/coronavirus-washington-lobbyists-bailout

The Republican bill provides passenger airlines and air cargo carriers
up to $58bn in loans, while a mix of hotels, cruise ships, shopping malls
and other sectors were given $150bn to help weather the economic downturn.

Hours before the Republican measure was released, Trump said he expected
the package would provide help for the airlines, cruise lines and “probably hotels”.
On Tuesday, Trump met with hotel industry executives who reportedly asked for
$150bn in help and another $100bn for their suppliers.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/l...-give-coronavirus-update-at-noon-live-updates

The party is temporarily over- coronavirus
Trump's private property is closed to the public
All the menial labor employees have beed fired.

At Mar-a-Lago, the organizers of big charity events canceled.

In Washington, the city ordered bars to close:
On the last night at the Trump hotel’s bar, normally full of lobbyists,
Republicans and Trump advisers, there was just one person in the lobby.

March 20, 2020

On Friday, with shutdowns only increasing, one Trump property was trying
to make the most of the situation. Trump’s golf course in the Bronx wrote
on Twitter that golfers could still play there:

“The golf course is a great place to relieve stress and exercise social distancing.”

But only for two more days. Later in the day, New York Gov. Andrew M.
Cuomo ordered all nonessential businesses to close on Sunday.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...e785c0-6ad2-11ea-b313-df458622c2cc_story.html

Mar 17, 2020

Trump shuts down Bedminster golf club because of Gov. Phil Murphy’s
coronavirus restrictions

Trump has used Bedminster as a weekend getaway during the warmer
months and for extended stays in August.

He also owns golf courses in Colts Neck and Pine Hill.

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020...ause-of-murphys-coronavirus-restrictions.html

President Trump’s company has closed down its Bedminster golf club,
the club told its members on Tuesday. That appeared to make Bedminster —
the New Jersey club Trump visits often and calls his “Summer White House”—
the first Trump property to close because of the novel coronavirus.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...-latest-news/#link-4JV6SLQGXVC7FOZ3TYYIVDWPXE

Robert Maguire ✓
Twitter › RobertMaguire

In retrospect, maybe it wasn't a great idea to explode the deficit
by giving a massive tax cut to giant corporations and the super
wealthy

5 hours ago

King Donald the Goon knew in January.

He did nothing.

Do you miss President Obama, yet ?

Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy)

BREAKING:

I just signed an Executive Order directing nearly all residents to STAY AT HOME.

ALL gatherings are canceled.

ALL non-essential retail businesses must indefinitely close their physical stores
to the public effective 9:00 p.m. tonight.

March 21, 2020

 

[Schlank]

Economist Paul Krugman was a frequent source of wisdom during the Great Recession of the late 2000s and 2010s. Now, in 2020, the U.S. finds itself confronting a major health crisis that is also a major economic crisis: coronavirus, which is forcing a wide range of brick-and-mortar businesses to close their doors. And Krugman, in his column, offers three economic tips for coping with the deadly pandemic:

(1) “focus on hardship” rather than GDP,
(2) “stop worrying about incentives to work,” and
(3) “don’t trust Trump.”


Over the years in his column, Krugman has repeatedly stressed a core principle of New Deal/Great Society economics: helping those in need benefits the economy on the whole. Krugman asserts that helping those who inevitably suffer great “hardship” because of coronavirus is sound economic policy.


“What policy can do is reduce the hardship facing those who are temporarily out of work,” Krugman advises. “That means that we need to spend much more on programs like paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, food stamps and Medicaid that aid Americans in distress — who need far more help than they’ll get from an across-the-board cash drop. This spending would also provide stimulus, but that’s a secondary concern.”


Krugman doesn’t actually use the word “bootstraps” in his column. But with #2, he is essentially making a New Deal/Great Society type of argument and saying that it is ridiculous to expect those who are economically devastated by coronavirus to simply pull themselves up by the bootstraps.

“The usual suspects are already objecting that helping Americans in need reduces their incentive to work,” Krugman observes. “That’s a lousy argument even in good times, but it’s absurd in the face of a pandemic. And state governments that have been trying, with encouragement from the Trump administration, to reduce public assistance by imposing work requirements should suspend all such requirements immediately.”

With #3, Krugman is especially biting in his commentary — arguing that because Trump was painfully slow to acknowledge the severity of coronavirus, he simply cannot be trusted.

“The U.S. response to the threat has been catastrophically slow and inadequate,” Krugman asserts. “And the buck stops with Trump, who minimized the threat and discouraged action until just a few days ago.”

Krugman goes on to explain, “Over the past few days, state TV — I mean Fox News — and right-wing pundits have abruptly pivoted from dismissing COVID-19 as a liberal hoax to demanding an end to all criticism of the president in a time of national emergency. This should come as no surprise. But this is where the history of the Trump pandemic — all those wasted weeks when we did nothing because Donald Trump didn’t want to hear anything that might hurt him politically — becomes relevant. It shows that even when American lives are at risk, this administration’s policy is all about Trump, about what he thinks will make him look good. Never mind the national interest.”

Krugman stresses that when “Congress allocates money” for economic stimulus because of coronavirus, Trump shouldn’t have “any discretion over how the money is spent.”


“While it may be necessary to provide funds for some business bailouts,” Krugman notes, “Congress must specify the rules for who gets those funds and under what conditions. Otherwise, you know what will happen: Trump will abuse any discretion to reward his friends and punish his enemies. That’s just who he is.”

The economist wraps up his column by lamenting that during a devastating global pandemic, the United States has a president who is woefully unfit for the job.

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/pa...oronavirus-economic-fallout-dont-trust-trump/

 

[cheesehead2]

Economist Paul Krugman was a frequent source of wisdom during the Great Recession of the late 2000s and 2010s. Now, in 2020, the U.S. finds itself confronting a major health crisis that is also a major economic crisis: coronavirus, which is forcing a wide range of brick-and-mortar businesses to close their doors. And Krugman, in his column, offers three economic tips for coping with the deadly pandemic:

(1) “focus on hardship” rather than GDP,
(2) “stop worrying about incentives to work,” and
(3) “don’t trust Trump.”


Over the years in his column, Krugman has repeatedly stressed a core principle of New Deal/Great Society economics: helping those in need benefits the economy on the whole. Krugman asserts that helping those who inevitably suffer great “hardship” because of coronavirus is sound economic policy.


“What policy can do is reduce the hardship facing those who are temporarily out of work,” Krugman advises. “That means that we need to spend much more on programs like paid sick leave, unemployment benefits, food stamps and Medicaid that aid Americans in distress — who need far more help than they’ll get from an across-the-board cash drop. This spending would also provide stimulus, but that’s a secondary concern.”


Krugman doesn’t actually use the word “bootstraps” in his column. But with #2, he is essentially making a New Deal/Great Society type of argument and saying that it is ridiculous to expect those who are economically devastated by coronavirus to simply pull themselves up by the bootstraps.

“The usual suspects are already objecting that helping Americans in need reduces their incentive to work,” Krugman observes. “That’s a lousy argument even in good times, but it’s absurd in the face of a pandemic. And state governments that have been trying, with encouragement from the Trump administration, to reduce public assistance by imposing work requirements should suspend all such requirements immediately.”

With #3, Krugman is especially biting in his commentary — arguing that because Trump was painfully slow to acknowledge the severity of coronavirus, he simply cannot be trusted.

“The U.S. response to the threat has been catastrophically slow and inadequate,” Krugman asserts. “And the buck stops with Trump, who minimized the threat and discouraged action until just a few days ago.”

Krugman goes on to explain, “Over the past few days, state TV — I mean Fox News — and right-wing pundits have abruptly pivoted from dismissing COVID-19 as a liberal hoax to demanding an end to all criticism of the president in a time of national emergency. This should come as no surprise. But this is where the history of the Trump pandemic — all those wasted weeks when we did nothing because Donald Trump didn’t want to hear anything that might hurt him politically — becomes relevant. It shows that even when American lives are at risk, this administration’s policy is all about Trump, about what he thinks will make him look good. Never mind the national interest.”

Krugman stresses that when “Congress allocates money” for economic stimulus because of coronavirus, Trump shouldn’t have “any discretion over how the money is spent.”


“While it may be necessary to provide funds for some business bailouts,” Krugman notes, “Congress must specify the rules for who gets those funds and under what conditions. Otherwise, you know what will happen: Trump will abuse any discretion to reward his friends and punish his enemies. That’s just who he is.”

The economist wraps up his column by lamenting that during a devastating global pandemic, the United States has a president who is woefully unfit for the job.

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/pa...oronavirus-economic-fallout-dont-trust-trump/

Girls she lost

 

[Schlank]

Reality of Coronavirus Not Allowed To Rain on Donald Trump's Parade

Trump Show Must Go On, and Reality Must Be Denied At All Costs

According to Trump, all that bad stuff never happened.

Sunday morning Donald Trump lashed out Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other unnamed governors for blaming his administration for bungling the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying they are exposing their own “shortcomings.”

Along the way, Trump also accused the media of being in on a conspiracy to blame him.

Taking to Twitter, Trump wrote, “. @JBPritzker, Governor of Illinois, and a very small group of certain other Governors, together with Fake News @CNN and Concast (MSDNC), shouldn’t be blaming the Federal Government for their own shortcomings. We are there to back you up should you fail, and always will be!”

Needless to say, many commenters noted that the health crisis is a 50-state problem and his job is to lead the country — although he doesn’t seem to be aware of that fact.

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/tr...ly-in-his-face/?utm_source=push_notifications

 

[allison22]

The COVID-19 virus is the smallpox of the 21st century, yet Trump refuses to take it seriously.

We have people in America who don’t believe that this is a big deal because Trump told them it was a Democratic hoax, because he told them it was just like the flu or a cold, that just like magic the virus would disappear. The medical experts in the federal government told Trump that none of that was true, but Trump refused to listen to them.

 

[Jesus_Ateo]

The virus is spreading, Americans are dying, but all Trump is willing to do is throw childish temper tantrums.

 

[Leather_Lesbian]

The virus is spreading, Americans are dying, but all Trump is willing to do is throw childish temper tantrums.

Trump threw one of his tantrums last night, once again downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic as he once again refused to show any leadership.


"I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they're going to be," Trump said. "I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they'll have two ventilators. And now, all of a sudden, they're saying, 'Can we order 30,000 ventilators?'"

Health care workers in New York are struggling to treat rocketing numbers of patients with diminishing supplies, including masks, gowns and ventilators. So, what does Trump do?

He throws a childish tantrum, pretends that the problem is small and insignificant, and refuses to do anything to help.