Name: Trump’s video of coronavirus actions accidentally reveals how he mishandled things in February
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Trump’s video of coronavirus actions accidentally reveals how he mishandled things in February

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We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our . Please also read our and , which became effective December 20, 2019.By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.I Accept☰×The propaganda package basically skips from January to March. That’s not an accident.A campaign-style video President Donald Trump is promoting in an attempt to rewrite the history of his response accidentally reveals the truth — that he didn’t really do much during a crucial period in February and early March when the virus was spreading undetected in America, besides downplaying the threat.The video, which premiered during Monday’s and was then , features a timeline of what the video refers to as the president’s “DECISIVE ACTION” during that period. But the list of Trump’s anti-coronavirus actions is far shorter than it might appear as it ticks by your screen.For one thing, Trump had little to do with a number of the “actions” highlighted in the timeline. For another, the video includes a number of developments that are really nothing to brag about, such as the first US case being reported on January 20 and that put the US behind the curve compared to other countries that have more successfully handled the coronavirus. And it skips right from early February to March, thereby revealing Trump didn’t do much during a period in which proactive measures could’ve been taken, saving lives and ensuring the country didn’t need to practice the sort of drastic social distancing we’re now enduring in a last-ditch effort to slow the spread.Here are some of the things mentioned in the timeline, followed briefly by the ways they actually illuminate the administration’s failings:RelatedThat’s a pretty underwhelming set of actions. And what the video doesn’t include are — such as his February 26 comment that “when you have 15 [coronavirus cases], and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that’s a pretty good job we’ve done.” Or his comment the next day that the virus would go away on its own “like a miracle.”As of April 14, the US now has more than 587,000 confirmed cases and over 23,500 Covid-19-related deaths. Now, instead of saying the coronavirus will magically go away, Trump has tried to redefine success as keeping the death toll under 100,000.Later Monday, the Trump campaign followed up on the campaign-style video (one that was ) by posting a list of Trump’s coronavirus accomplishments including similarly dubious things, like Trump mentioning the virus during the State of the Union and him talking about it with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a February trip.But instead of being focused on the coronavirus during that India trip, upon his February 26 return, Trump chastised a number of government officials over the CDC’s February 25 warning that the virus might cause “severe” disruption to American life — not because he thought the analysis was inaccurate, but because it hurt the stock market.Heading into a tough reelection contest against former Vice President Joe Biden, Trump is hoping to turn weakness into strength by convincing people that, unlike some in the media, he took the coronavirus seriously from the beginning.The reality, of course, is that Trump was unprepared. He , ignored that the coronavirus could be devastating to the US economy and kill a million or more people, and engaged in wishful thinking until the last possible moment that the coronavirus would miraculously disappear without doing damage to the US economy.Trump’s meltdown on Monday — and, seemingly, his “accomplishments” video — was a reaction to that examines his coronavirus failures. The piece is packed with documents, email threads, and on- and off-the-record quotes from government officials — but instead of responding to it on the merits, Trump spent the weekend accusing the Times of fabricating sources.At this late date, it’s no longer a surprise that Trump is fundamentally incapable of being accountable for anything. (Monday’s briefing came on the one-month anniversary of his proclamation on the state of the US coronavirus crisis: “.”) But the new coronavirus timeline video illustrates both the brazenness of Trump’s attempt to rewrite history and the sheer laziness of it. It tries to create the optics of action, but a close look at the things being highlighted as accomplishments reveals there’s really nothing there beyond bluster.Millions turn to Vox to understand what’s happening in the news. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all.

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our . Please also read our and , which became effective December 20, 2019.By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.I Accept☰×The propaganda package basically skips from January to March. That’s not an accident.A campaign-style video President Donald Trump is promoting in an attempt to rewrite the history of...

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Aaron Rupar

Vox is a liberal-leaning American news and opinion website owned by Vox Media. The website was founded in April 2014 by Ezra Klein, Matt Yglesias, and Melissa Bell, and is noted for its concept of explanatory journalism. Vox's media presence also includes a YouTube channel, several podcasts, and a show presented on Netflix.

Trump’s video of coronavirus actions accidentally reveals how he mishandled things in February

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