Let’s count the ways the whole federal government has failed to date, starting at the very top.
1. President Trump at first downplayed the coronavirus, and then he later sent mixed messages about it.
2. Trump and his administration saw the virus – and initially reacted to it – primarily as an immigration/travel/border issue rather than a health one.
3. Trump consistently attacked critical Democrats (like Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and most recently Sen. Chuck Schumer), while he singled out Republicans for praise.
4. The administration didn’t heed classified warnings from the intelligence community -- back in January and February -- about the dangers the coronavirus posed for the global community.
5. The administration, in 2018, disbanded its National Security Council pandemic team.
6. The administration eliminated a CDC job dedicated to detecting outbreaks in China.
7. The Department of Homeland Security, which plays a vital role in responding to disasters, remains staffed with an acting secretary, an acting chief of staff, an acting general counsel and a vacancy at deputy secretary.
8. The Centers for Disease Control’s initial coronavirus test failed, resulting in a lost month to combat the virus.
9. The Food and Drug Administration’s requirements stymied university labs from conducting tests
10. The government’s emergency stockpile of respirator masks, gloves and other medical supplies is nearly depleted.
And in just the past day, we learned…
11. Rear Adm. John Polowczyk, who is helping to lead the effort to replenish supplies of personal protective equipment, admitted that the administration is delivering products it acquires to medical supply companies – rather than delivering them directly to the hospitals in need, per NBC’s Geoff Bennett. (Bottom line: The federal government is not taking over the supply chain.)
12. The U.S. Navy relieved the captain who sounded the alarm about an outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
13. The Federal Emergency Management Agency officials told Congress that the projected demand for ventilators required for coronavirus-stricken patients "outstrips the capacity" of the Strategic National Stockpile.
14. And it wasn't until Thursday night that banks received their 31 pages of guidance from the Treasury Department on how to lend the money in the $350 billion small-business relief program — and some banks haven't even decided whether they can participate on the opening day.
The government’s response to the coronavirus – just two months into the crisis — is the biggest failure of this administration.
1. President Trump at first downplayed the coronavirus, and then he later sent mixed messages about it.
2. Trump and his administration saw the virus – and initially reacted to it – primarily as an immigration/travel/border issue rather than a health one.
3. Trump consistently attacked critical Democrats (like Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and most recently Sen. Chuck Schumer), while he singled out Republicans for praise.
4. The administration didn’t heed classified warnings from the intelligence community -- back in January and February -- about the dangers the coronavirus posed for the global community.
5. The administration, in 2018, disbanded its National Security Council pandemic team.
6. The administration eliminated a CDC job dedicated to detecting outbreaks in China.
7. The Department of Homeland Security, which plays a vital role in responding to disasters, remains staffed with an acting secretary, an acting chief of staff, an acting general counsel and a vacancy at deputy secretary.
8. The Centers for Disease Control’s initial coronavirus test failed, resulting in a lost month to combat the virus.
9. The Food and Drug Administration’s requirements stymied university labs from conducting tests
10. The government’s emergency stockpile of respirator masks, gloves and other medical supplies is nearly depleted.
And in just the past day, we learned…
11. Rear Adm. John Polowczyk, who is helping to lead the effort to replenish supplies of personal protective equipment, admitted that the administration is delivering products it acquires to medical supply companies – rather than delivering them directly to the hospitals in need, per NBC’s Geoff Bennett. (Bottom line: The federal government is not taking over the supply chain.)
12. The U.S. Navy relieved the captain who sounded the alarm about an outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
13. The Federal Emergency Management Agency officials told Congress that the projected demand for ventilators required for coronavirus-stricken patients "outstrips the capacity" of the Strategic National Stockpile.
14. And it wasn't until Thursday night that banks received their 31 pages of guidance from the Treasury Department on how to lend the money in the $350 billion small-business relief program — and some banks haven't even decided whether they can participate on the opening day.
The government’s response to the coronavirus – just two months into the crisis — is the biggest failure of this administration.
