If you didn’t know the return of the daily coronavirus briefing would be some bull, you didn’t listen to the justification behind the decision.
“I was doing them and we had a lot of people watching, record numbers watching in the history of cable television. There’s never been anything like it,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office the day before they returned. “It’s a great way to get information out to the public as to where we are with the vaccines, with the therapeutics.”
Although some described Trump’s announcement as tacit proof that the Trump administration has finally accepted that it cannot simply ignore the realities of the pandemic, I counter with him first mentioning ratings when discussing a medical crisis. That’s all the proof anyone needed to quickly recognize that he cares less about providing necessary information to the public and more about his superficial and self-serving priorities. But, per usual, select outlets praised Trump for doing nothing more than reading prepared remarks and managing to sound somewhat somber about more than 140,000 Americans dying.
Meanwhile, what’s most remembered from the first coronavirus briefing in more than three months is Trump’s statement on Ghislaine Maxwell, now facing charges for acting as an alleged accomplice to Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual trafficking of minors.
When asked by a reporter whether he believes Maxwell will turn on powerful men who are rumored to have participated in illegal sexual activity, Trump replied, “I don’t know. I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well frankly. I’ve met her numerous times over the years — especially since I lived in Palm Beach. I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well. Whatever it is.”
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, tried to clean up Trump’s messes to little effect. “Well, what the President was noting is that the last person who was charged in this case ended up dead in a jail cell,” McEnany explained in a separate interview to Fox News. “And the President wants justice to be served for the victims in this case and he prefers this to play out in a courtroom.”
McEnany is such a waste of time and I’m going to deeply resent everyone responsible for putting her on Dancing With The Stars, Big Brother, or whatever reality show she ends up on.
As for the rest of the coronavirus briefings, they were equally as big a waste of time.
When Trump wasn’t wishing accused child sex trafficking ring leaders well in their criminal trials, he kept referring to the coronavirus with racist descriptors like “China virus.” He wasn’t totally useless, admitting at some point last week, “It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better.” And yes, he sort of advocated for masks, noting,”Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact.”
Even so, as lovely as it is for the unstable simpleton to recognize the benefit of masks, shouldn’t we hear from doctors?
CNN revealed the reason why: “A person familiar with the matter said Fauci had initially been expecting to appear at the press conference. But White House aides signaled on Monday and Tuesday that the revived presidential briefings were unlikely to include administration officials.”
Trump was asked this last week and noted Dr. Deborah Birx was “right outside.” I read the New York Times’ recent exposé on the Trump administration’s failures to contain the coronavirus and the role Dr. Birx played in the litany of failures. She can stay outside forever.
Where is Dr. Anthony Fauci? I am tired of chasing this man through podcasts and press interviews. Bring him back. We need doctors that can counter the inaccurate claims Trump makes in these briefings — notably this lingering notion that the virus will “disappear” at some point. If we can’t have a medical briefing with actual doctors and be provided relevant information, what is the point?
It’s a question I hope more White House reporters in attendance of these briefings ask Trump. And while they have his attention, I sure hope at least one of them finally takes the opportunity to look Donald Trump in the face and ask him if he takes any issue at all with stories of Russian troops placing bounties on the heads of U.S. troops. The running theme with Trump is that he has no issue letting Americans die.
He gets attention for so many other things yet still not enough about that.