Phase Four: Shifting expectations
March 29: Trump reverses course on relaxing strict stay-at-home guidance by Easter and extends the period to the end of April.
"The peak, the highest point of death rates — remember this — is likely to hit in two weeks," he said. "Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won. That would be the greatest loss of all."
In the press conference, he argues with "PBS NewsHour" reporter Yamiche Alcindor over what the president had said, or hadn’t said, about New York’s need for ventilators. Trump falsely denied saying that governors were requesting equipment they didn’t need.
March 30: Cases top 163,000. The number of tests crosses the 1 million mark, still behind where the country needs to be. Trump tells Fox News:
"We inherited a broken test" for COVID-19.
Trump’s impossible claim is Pants on Fire. There could be no test before the new virus emerged. China first confirmed its existence Dec. 31, 2019, and shared its genetic sequence Jan. 7. The CDC’s first shipment of tests to states contained tainted reagents. That and bureaucratic delays cost the U.S. several critical weeks in testing.
March 31: Trump asks Americans to be prepared for the "hard days that lie ahead."
"This is going to be a very painful — very, very painful two weeks," he said. "When you look and see at night the kind of death that's been caused by this invisible enemy, it's — it's incredible."
The coronavirus death toll reaches about 3,700.
April 1: Trump talks about keeping the transportation system running.
"They’re doing tests on airlines — very strong tests — for getting on, getting off. They’re doing tests on trains — getting on, getting off."
This confuses screening — which is happening at only 13 airports and not at any train station — with testing. Screening involves a temperature check or a questionnaire, and takes place only for people traveling from certain countries. This claim is Pants on Fire.
April 4: Trump urges use of the drug hydroxychloroquine to fight the virus.
"I hope they use it, because I'll tell you what: What do you have to lose?"
Hospitals are using the drug, but the benefits remain unclear, and the risk of heart damage is well documented. (Doctors in Brazil halted a trial when patients developed irregular heart beats.) Of the two limited tests that suggested it worked, one was later discredited by the scientific society that published it, and efforts to replicate their results failed. See our research round-up here.
April 11: The total number of workers signing up to get unemployment insurance checks reaches nearly 12 million, the highest number (seasonally adjusted) since the government began tracking.
The same day, the United States passes Italy for the most confirmed COVID-19 deaths — over 20,000.
April 13: Eager to restart the economy, Trump says as president he has "total" authority to decide when states lift quarantine rules and other restrictions.
Pants on Fire. Trump overlooked the principle of federalism which reserves certain powers to the states. Legal experts said no part of the Constitution gives the president unlimited power.
Trump also unveiled a White House video summary of progress against the virus. The video used quotes out of context, excluded Trump’s comments during the time when he downplayed the crisis, and ended up highlighting the lack of action during the critical month of February.
April 14: Fourth economic rescue bill stalls. Republicans seek additional $250 billion for small businesses. Democrats agree, but also want another $250 billion for hospitals and state and local governments. On April 16, the SBA says it has committed all of the nearly $350 billion small business aid program called the Paycheck Protection Program.
April 16: Trump releases guidelines to restart the economy.
"To preserve the health of our citizens, we must also preserve the health and functioning of our economy," Trump said. He left the decision of whether to relax restrictions in the hands of each state. The guidelines said states should first make sure that the number of cases was headed down.
"If they need to remain closed, we will allow them to do that," he said. "And if they believe it is time to reopen, we will provide them the freedom and guidance to accomplish that task."
Trump said that while Washington will help with the wide-scale testing required, testing is in the hands of each state. Public health researchers and state officials issued a report saying to be successful, the testing and contact tracing requires "a new national initiative that combines a massive expansion of rapid diagnostic tests in every community with an unprecedented growth in a public health workforce."
April 17: Total number of U.S. cases tops 672,000, with nearly 34,000 deaths.
March 29: Trump reverses course on relaxing strict stay-at-home guidance by Easter and extends the period to the end of April.
"The peak, the highest point of death rates — remember this — is likely to hit in two weeks," he said. "Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won. That would be the greatest loss of all."
In the press conference, he argues with "PBS NewsHour" reporter Yamiche Alcindor over what the president had said, or hadn’t said, about New York’s need for ventilators. Trump falsely denied saying that governors were requesting equipment they didn’t need.
March 30: Cases top 163,000. The number of tests crosses the 1 million mark, still behind where the country needs to be. Trump tells Fox News:
"We inherited a broken test" for COVID-19.
Trump’s impossible claim is Pants on Fire. There could be no test before the new virus emerged. China first confirmed its existence Dec. 31, 2019, and shared its genetic sequence Jan. 7. The CDC’s first shipment of tests to states contained tainted reagents. That and bureaucratic delays cost the U.S. several critical weeks in testing.
March 31: Trump asks Americans to be prepared for the "hard days that lie ahead."
"This is going to be a very painful — very, very painful two weeks," he said. "When you look and see at night the kind of death that's been caused by this invisible enemy, it's — it's incredible."
The coronavirus death toll reaches about 3,700.
April 1: Trump talks about keeping the transportation system running.
"They’re doing tests on airlines — very strong tests — for getting on, getting off. They’re doing tests on trains — getting on, getting off."
This confuses screening — which is happening at only 13 airports and not at any train station — with testing. Screening involves a temperature check or a questionnaire, and takes place only for people traveling from certain countries. This claim is Pants on Fire.
April 4: Trump urges use of the drug hydroxychloroquine to fight the virus.
"I hope they use it, because I'll tell you what: What do you have to lose?"
Hospitals are using the drug, but the benefits remain unclear, and the risk of heart damage is well documented. (Doctors in Brazil halted a trial when patients developed irregular heart beats.) Of the two limited tests that suggested it worked, one was later discredited by the scientific society that published it, and efforts to replicate their results failed. See our research round-up here.
April 11: The total number of workers signing up to get unemployment insurance checks reaches nearly 12 million, the highest number (seasonally adjusted) since the government began tracking.
The same day, the United States passes Italy for the most confirmed COVID-19 deaths — over 20,000.
April 13: Eager to restart the economy, Trump says as president he has "total" authority to decide when states lift quarantine rules and other restrictions.
Pants on Fire. Trump overlooked the principle of federalism which reserves certain powers to the states. Legal experts said no part of the Constitution gives the president unlimited power.
Trump also unveiled a White House video summary of progress against the virus. The video used quotes out of context, excluded Trump’s comments during the time when he downplayed the crisis, and ended up highlighting the lack of action during the critical month of February.
April 14: Fourth economic rescue bill stalls. Republicans seek additional $250 billion for small businesses. Democrats agree, but also want another $250 billion for hospitals and state and local governments. On April 16, the SBA says it has committed all of the nearly $350 billion small business aid program called the Paycheck Protection Program.
April 16: Trump releases guidelines to restart the economy.
"To preserve the health of our citizens, we must also preserve the health and functioning of our economy," Trump said. He left the decision of whether to relax restrictions in the hands of each state. The guidelines said states should first make sure that the number of cases was headed down.
"If they need to remain closed, we will allow them to do that," he said. "And if they believe it is time to reopen, we will provide them the freedom and guidance to accomplish that task."
Trump said that while Washington will help with the wide-scale testing required, testing is in the hands of each state. Public health researchers and state officials issued a report saying to be successful, the testing and contact tracing requires "a new national initiative that combines a massive expansion of rapid diagnostic tests in every community with an unprecedented growth in a public health workforce."
April 17: Total number of U.S. cases tops 672,000, with nearly 34,000 deaths.
