Donald Trump, on the day the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 passed 80,000, declared success in the war on coronavirus: “We have met the moment and we have prevailed.”
One week ago today, the impeached and manifestly unfit president of the U.S. said it was too soon to declare “mission accomplished.”
But today, victory has been declared, even as the bodies pile up, with no plan for the pandemic and no end to the pandemic in sight.
“We will transition into greatness — that’s a phrase you’re going to hear a lot,” Trump said today in the White House Rose Garden.
“The greatness is going to be in the fourth quarter, but it’s really going to be next year.”
Trump: And next year we’re going to have one of the best years we’ve ever had because there’s a tremendous pent up demand. It’s a demand and I’m feeling it. I’ve felt things a lot over my life and I’ve made a lot of good calls pic.twitter.com/h5wR3VTTR0
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) May 11, 2020
It appears that @POTUS, among all present in the Rose Garden (@WhiteHouse staffers, officials and media) the only person not wearing a mask.
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) May 11, 2020
“Last week we did over 1.9 million tests,” according to @HHS_ASH. “Our percent positives are going down.” pic.twitter.com/r2sglpjFBn
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) May 11, 2020
Among those in Rose Garden with Trump for these remarks on coronavirus testing are Jared Kushner, Adam Boehler and Brad Smith who worked with a team of a couple dozen volunteers from private sector on virus equipment supply. Also Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, Alex Azar. NOT Pence.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 11, 2020
— darth™ (@darth) May 11, 2020
President Trump says he felt “no vulnerability” after some WH aides tested positive for COVID-19. He said that officials who are self isolating will be back soon.
Note: Three of the WH’s top scientists are all self-isolating.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) May 11, 2020
President Trump makes passing reference to "the good and the bad" about wearing a face mask, without elaborating. He's not wearing one, needless to say.
— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) May 11, 2020
Trump on WH staff testing positive: I don’t think the system broke down at all. One person tested positive surprisingly because the previous day tested negative pic.twitter.com/I8RQDRdeUi
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) May 11, 2020
Asked if people should be told to go back to work without more testing capacity, Trump says, "We're leaving that up to the governors." (He's also very vocally pushing governors to reopen things.)
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 11, 2020