The Pandemic Timeline

Trump has persistently minimized the seriousness of COVID-19 by falsely comparing it to the seasonal flu. Initially, he used the tactic to downplay the virus as it threatened the stock market. This denial and obfuscation squandered precious time, worsened the crisis, and may have cost a number of lives.

Confusion Reigns Over Reopening Plan

By June 1, more than 100,000 Americans will have died from COVID-19. Where are the promised tests?

Too Little — Too Late

The World Health Organization is a 194-nation cooperative that promotes public health and saves lives across the globe. Unlike Trump, the WHO responded quickly and aggressively to COVID-19. Now Trump is trying to flip the script — accusing the WHO of incompetence and cover-up.

For years, Trump failed to prepare America for a pandemic. For months after COVID-19 emerged, he downplayed its danger. Now he’s touting a dubious miracle cure.

By Apr. 10, on a per capita basis, US testing still lags far behind other countries, including South Korea and Italy. But at a press briefing, Trump says, “We’re leading the world now in testing, by far, and we’re going to keep it that way.”

Obama’s team briefed Trump’s transition team on a simulation that anticipated the very type of outbreak now blanketing the earth, but Trump ignored its lessons. Trump inherited a White House pandemic response team, but he disbanded it.

By March 4, South Korea — a country of 51.8 million people — has performed more than 136,000 tests. The US, with a population of 329 million, has performed fewer than 1,000.This is Part II in a series.

Trump’s magical thinking and contradictory messages about the coronavirus have created public confusion. The consequences are becoming catastrophic.