Shock, Rage Flare Over Trump’s ‘Reckless’ Tweet Downplaying COVID Danger
After spending three days in the hospital treated by an army of doctors and receiving cutting-edge care, President Donald Trump told Americans: "Don’t be afraid of Covid, Don’t let it dominate your life." Doctors and scientists were aghast at the advice that counters all public health messaging about a disease that has killed over 202,000 Americans so far. Many families of victims voiced devastation over the president's words.
The New York Times:
Trump’s ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ Comments Outrage Public Health Experts
The president’s comments drew outrage from scientists, ethicists and doctors, as well as some people whose relatives and friends were among the more than 210,000 people who have died in the United States. “I am struggling for words — this is crazy,” said Harald Schmidt, an assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania. “It is just utterly irresponsible.” Fiana Garza Tulip, 40, who lives in Brooklyn and lost her mother to the virus, wrote in a text message that she was “reeling” after reading Mr. Trump’s tweet, which she described as a “slap in the face” and a “painful reminder that our president is unfit for office and that he does not care about human life.” (Kolata and Caryn Rabin, 10/5)
USA Today:
'Reckless To A Shocking Degree': Reaction To Trump Saying Not To 'Be Afraid Of Covid' As US Passes 210,000 Deaths
Celebrities, political pundits, and critics responded to President Donald Trump's tweet to not "be afraid of Covid", calling the message "preposterous" and "dangerous" for the leader of a nation that has surpassed 210,000 deaths to spread. (Behrmann, 10/5)
Boston Globe:
‘I Am Enraged That He Is Minimizing The Pandemic’ — Doctors Rip Trump For Planned Hospital Exit
Reaction from some medical experts was swift - and sharply critical - after President Trump tweeted Monday that he would leave Walter Reed in a matter of hours despite his COVID-19 diagnosis. ...That didn’t sit well with Dr. Dara Kass, an associate clinical professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University. (Andersen, 10/5)
AP:
'An Embarrassment': Trump Tweet Angers Pandemic Survivors
Dizzy with a soaring fever and unable to breathe, Scott Sedlacek had one thing going for him: He was among the first people to be treated for COVID-19 at Seattle’s Swedish Medical Center, and the doctors and nurses were able to give him plenty of attention.The 64-year-old recovered after being treated with a bronchial nebulizer in March, but the ensuing months have done little to dull the trauma of his illness. Hearing of President Donald Trump’s advice by Tweet and video on Monday not to fear the disease — as well as the president’s insistence on riding in a motorcade outside Walter Reed Medical Center and returning to the White House while still infectious — enraged him. “I’m so glad that he appears to be doing well, that he has doctors who can give him experimental drugs that aren’t available to the masses,” Sedlacek said. “For the rest of us, who are trying to protect ourselves, that behavior is an embarrassment.” (Johnson and Prengaman, 10/6)
In other reaction —
The Hill:
Cornyn: Trump 'Let His Guard Down' On Coronavirus
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Monday that President Trump “let his guard down” on the coronavirus, in some of the toughest comments yet from a GOP lawmaker about the president’s handling of the virus after Trump announced his positive test late Thursday night. “I think he let his guard down, and I think in his desire to try to demonstrate that we are somehow coming out of this and that the danger is not still with us — I think he got out over his skis and frankly, I think it’s a lesson to all of us that we need to exercise self discipline,” Cornyn told the Houston Chronicle editorial board. (Sullivan, 10/5)
Politico:
Trump Allies Turn Covid Diagnosis Into A Message Of Strength
President Donald Trump’s carefully crafted image of power and control took brutal blows over the past few days, as he and dozens of his closest confidants tested positive for the coronavirus. ... The challenge now for team Trump: How to spin the situation into a positive, less than a month from Election Day. His allies have tried to connect the president’s experience to the pain of millions of Americans affected by the deadly virus, but they haven’t used the experience to send a broader public-health message about a pandemic that has killed around 210,000 people in the U.S. They have instead presented, in a series of TV appearances and tweets, a testament to Trump’s resilience by asserting that he has overcome the disease. (Choi, 10/5)
Kaiser Health News:
Analysis: ‘Don’t Be Afraid Of COVID’? Not Buying It, Unless Businesses Do Job Right
As stores, restaurants, airlines and offices try to lure clients back, this is what they need to do to earn my business: Make me feel safe — no, make me be as safe as possible. As I’ve begun to explore old haunts, some are doing a fabulous job. Others are not. So my dollars will flow to the former, and I’ll effectively boycott the latter. Think of it as ethical shopping, with a safety twist: I’ll reward businesses that are seriously implementing recommended COVID-19 precautionary guidelines. And I’ll punish, in my own tiny way, those who don’t take them to heart. (Rosenthal, 10/6)
