Trump fears emergency declaration would contradict

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Trump fears emergency declaration would contradict coronavirus message

Finally the health issue is put in front of economic and his own personal political concerns. Resisted by Trump, and
so of course by Pence, Trump has succumbed to pressure of Democrats and others.

This article a 3-day step back.

Trump is concerned that declaring an emergency would hamper his narrative that the coronavirus is similar to the seasonal flu.
Donald Trump

By ANITA KUMAR

03/11/2020 04:12 PM EDT
Updated: 03/11/2020 06:46 PM EDT

President Donald Trump is reluctant to declare an expansive emergency to combat the escalating coronavirus outbreak, fearful of stoking panic with such a dramatic step, according to three people familiar with the situation.

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Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is pushing for the designation. But Vice President Mike Pence, who Trump tapped to lead the administration’s coronavirus response, is wary it could trigger an economic tailspin, they added.

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The administration is “not comfortable with the optics of national emergency” because of how it might impact Wall Street, tourism and air travel, a former Department of Homeland Security official said.

Trump is especially sensitive to variations in the stock market, seeing it as a key talking point in his reelection campaign.

“Everything is about the election now,” said a former Trump adviser. “The economy is strong underneath but the market is the superficial barometer people watch. And if it’s all over the place, people lose confidence.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/11/trum...age-125902

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