Tag: Trump Oval Office speech

Ten minutes at the teleprompter: Inside Trump’s failed attempt to calm coronavirus fears

Washington Post logoIn the most scripted of presidential settings, a prime-time televised address to the nation, President Trump decided to ad-lib — and his errors triggered a market meltdown, panicked travelers overseas and crystallized for his critics just how dangerously he has fumbled his management of the coronavirus.

Even Trump — a man practically allergic to admitting mistakes — knew he’d screwed up by declaring Wednesday night that his ban on travel from Europe would include cargo and trade, and acknowledged as much to aides in the Oval Office as soon as he’d finished speaking, according to one senior administration official and a second person, both with knowledge of the episode.

Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and senior adviser who has seized control over some aspects of the government’s coronavirus response, reassured Trump that aides would correct his misstatement, four administration officials said, and they scrambled to do just that. The president also told staffers to make sure other countries did not believe trade would be affected, and even sent a cleanup tweet of his own: “The restriction stops people not goods,” he wrote. Continue reading.

Trump Appears More Concerned With Closing Borders Than Testing For Coronavirus

The president has characterized the pandemic as a “foreign virus” and suggested that banning people from other countries is key to fixing the outbreak at home.

During his first address to the nation on the global coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump characterized COVID-19 as a “foreign virus” while touting his decision to institute travel restrictions with China and announcing plans to close the U.S. to visitors from most of Europe.

Meanwhile, he has been raked by critics — and the markets — for failing to thoroughly explain how the government plans to address the lack of tests and spiking number of cases across the U.S. His administration has for weeks downplayed the threat of the virus, even as experts warned it is on track to spread exponentially.

Trump clearly sees the novel coronavirus as just another foreign invader to keep out — a viewpoint reflected both in his policy proposals and the way he and his administration talk about the virus. This approach is in line with his overarching political strategy of exploiting Americans’ fears to justify racist, nativist policies.

Besieged Trump announces Europe travel ban in effort to stem coronavirus pandemic

Washington Post logoA besieged President Trump, who was slow to treat the coronavirus as a serious threat as it has spread across the United States, announced a drastic emergency measure Wednesday night designed to save American lives from the pandemic.

Trump said the United States would ban all travel from Europe, where the virus has spread uncontrollably, for 30 days beginning Friday at midnight, although the president said the United Kingdom, which is an island yet still has reported hundreds of its own cases, would be exempt. The White House also later clarified that the travel restrictions do not apply to U.S. citizens and can be waived in multiple circumstances.

Although he read from a prepared script as he delivered a rare prime-time televised address to the nation from the Oval Office, Trump incorrectly described his own policy. The president said in his speech that the travel restriction from Europe would apply to cargo and trade as well as passengers. But the text of the order, later released by the White House, stated that the ban would not include cargo, allowing for continued trade between the continents to maintain the free flow of commerce. Continue reading.

VIDEO: ‘We’re Being Used As Pawns In The Game That The President’s Playing’

Watch the video below to see how the Trump Shutdown is devastating America.

WATCH HERE

Kate Bolduan: “Welcome to day 18 of your partial government shutdown and no end in sight.”

Norah O’Donnell: “Federal employees who are without pay are beginning to feel the impact. Collectively they’re losing more than $1.4 billion a week.” Continue reading “VIDEO: ‘We’re Being Used As Pawns In The Game That The President’s Playing’”