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Trump Is Making Medical Experts Clear Coronavirus Updates Through Pence, and Obama's Ebola Response Director Just Called Them Out
27 February 2020
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Despite the growing threat of the rapidly-spreading coronavirus, President Donald Trump has taken repeated steps to dismiss the need for widespread drastic action to contain an outbreak in the United States that experts have deemed inevitable.
But how could a President possibly benefit from being cavalier about a pandemic?
<p>The growth of the stock market—however erratic—has been a key talking point in favor of Trump's reelection. But markets are weakening as concern over coronavirus grows. Trump <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/trump-reportedly-furious-about-stock-market-plunging-on-coronavirus-fears/ar-BB10o1pg" target="_blank">reportedly fears</a> that a drastic reaction to the pandemic would make the markets fall even further, potentially spoiling his boasts about the economy.</p><p><div id="insticator-container" class="embedid-ee1b1245-7f34-4d5c-8a70-c8be74fe7696"><div id="div-insticator-ad-1"></div><div id="insticator-embed"></div><div id="div-insticator-ad-2"></div><script data-cfasync="false" type="text/javascript">Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-1");Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-2");Insticator.load("em",{id : "ee1b1245-7f34-4d5c-8a70-c8be74fe7696"})</script></div></p><p>To curb that, the Trump administration is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/us/politics/us-coronavirus-pence.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes" target="_blank">requiring medical experts</a> at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) to clear public statements through Vice President Mike Pence, whom Trump <a href="https://secondnexus.com/trump-sanders-pence-coronavirus-response" target="_blank">recently appointed</a> as the virus's response director.</p><p>Concerns are growing that the Trump administration will deliberately withhold or delay crucial updates regarding the pandemic in order to keep Trump's economic reputation—and subsequently his approval rating—afloat.</p><p><div data-conversation-spotlight=""></div></p><p><strong>Ronald Klain, the Obama-era response director for the 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, warned that this policy is a danger to public health.</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="26c28" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3OQN9C1582845216"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233106848162701317" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I was the WH Ebola Response Coordinator in 2014-15. We never told @CDCgov or @NIH what they could say, or ever cen… https://t.co/6X1czvocwp</div> — Ronald Klain (@Ronald Klain)<a href="https://twitter.com/RonaldKlain/statuses/1233106848162701317">1582830557.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="d83c8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Z3MNBG1582845216"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233105343930097664" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The fact that Trump continues to lie about coronavirus is NOT a public health challenge, because anyone who believe… https://t.co/R7yYqlE5LR</div> — Ronald Klain (@Ronald Klain)<a href="https://twitter.com/RonaldKlain/statuses/1233105343930097664">1582830198.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Klain stressed that in order to keep the public informed and vigilant against potential Ebola outbreaks, officials were not required to clear their messaging through executive channels.</p><p><strong>This administration doesn't seem to hold the same priorities—and that's adding even more concern.</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="ef7d2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="XKKI7R1582845216"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233120157351993344" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The truth suffers under fascism. Now your health may suffer as well. @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/NrXHrpoyrW</div> — Brian J. Karem (@Brian J. Karem)<a href="https://twitter.com/BrianKarem/statuses/1233120157351993344">1582833730.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="82a41" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ZA31XA1582845216"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233117689679237120" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This politicization of pandemic response is going to make health officials' jobs that much harder. And why? Because… https://t.co/uXCinWEPwn</div> — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@Holly Figueroa O'Reilly)<a href="https://twitter.com/AynRandPaulRyan/statuses/1233117689679237120">1582833142.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="eb6cc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="SYR59C1582845217"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233104676981264389" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Fun fact: The reason the Spanish flu of 1918 is called that is because at the time, the only free press that wasn't… https://t.co/z4allUXeEc</div> — Crowing For Days (@Crowing For Days)<a href="https://twitter.com/LilRedRooster/statuses/1233104676981264389">1582830039.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="48218" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7CUHF71582845217"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233131148340940800" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">I don't know who needs to hear this, but forbidding health officials and expert scientists from reporting on a glob… https://t.co/v6LkJAJNmJ</div> — Robert Reich (@Robert Reich)<a href="https://twitter.com/RBReich/statuses/1233131148340940800">1582836350.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="745af" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="H7YWS21582845217"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233148641566695425" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Scientists now have their information about #CoronaVirus filtered through office of a man who believes in gay conve… https://t.co/GOXyFOald9</div> — Christian Christensen (@Christian Christensen)<a href="https://twitter.com/ChrChristensen/statuses/1233148641566695425">1582840521.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="0cb4c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="D4FJZ81582845217"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233143170906697740" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This headline is enough to make me feel sick. https://t.co/87hMjvACgI</div> — Josh Fox EndFossilFuels (@Josh Fox EndFossilFuels)<a href="https://twitter.com/joshfoxfilm/statuses/1233143170906697740">1582839217.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="da89c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="CLUZ5M1582845217"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233137627991199744" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">"Tighten the White House's control of messaging about the virus"
What the hell does that mean? Why can't the expe… https://t.co/nDLLzENepC</div> — Eric Garcia 4 Congress #CA22 (@Eric Garcia 4 Congress #CA22)<a href="https://twitter.com/EricG1247/statuses/1233137627991199744">1582837895.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="faafc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="748BKF1582845217"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233132822358966272" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This is propaganda masquerading as health policy. https://t.co/C3qUCnvq6G</div> — Jason (@Jason)<a href="https://twitter.com/jasonthinks/statuses/1233132822358966272">1582836750.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>For a disturbing look into Trump's attempts to suppress the free press, check out <em>Unmaking the Presidency</em>, <a href="https://amzn.to/389k7mq" target="_blank">available here</a>.</p>
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