US President Donald Trump called for a reduction in the pace of testing Americans for coronavirus. He made such a statement during his election campaign in Tulsa, Oklahoma. True, later in the White House they explained to reporters that the head of state was “joking”.
“Carrying out testing on such a scale, of course, you will identify more people, more cases (infection. - RT ). So I told my people: “Slow down there with the tests, please!” They are testing and testing ... They are testing so that people have no idea what’s going on, ”Trump said.
In addition, the American president again hinted at the role of Beijing, which he allegedly played in the spread of the "Chinese virus." He noted that this infection can be named in different ways, and introduced to voters its playful name - “kung-flu” (flu is translated as “flu.” - RT ).
According to CNN, the campaign headquarters of Democratic candidate Joe Biden and other opponents of Trump decided to use the president’s remark about reducing testing in their advertising campaigns as often as possible, thus discrediting the current head of the White House.
- American doctors in protective suits
- Reuters
- © Northwestern Medicine / Handout
It is worth noting that shortly before Trump's COVID-19 speech, six employees of his campaign headquarters were infected, who were just preparing the rally in Tulsa. This was reported by the American publication Axios, citing the director of public relations at the headquarters of US President Tim Merto.
Before Trump's speech, the Oklahoma Department of Health warned those wishing to attend this event about the high risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. In turn, the head of the Tulsa medical department, Brad Dart, announced the threat of infection for the president himself. At the same time, in frames shot at the rally, you can see that the vast majority of supporters of the head of the White House came without protective masks.
“Never Ethical”
Experts note that Trump's sarcastic remarks about the coronavirus threat “go beyond common sense” and can be negatively perceived by many citizens. According to analysts, the United States is still very far from a situation where the country's leader can afford a public demonstration of a frivolous attitude to the problem of the spread of COVID-19.
“Trump has never been ethical and delicate. In fact, it is in this that he personifies America with its straightforwardness, rudeness and jokes on the verge of a foul. Another thing is that now, given the complexity of the situation in the United States, it is, of course, wrong to ironize on the theme of coronavirus, ”American political scientist Mikhail Sinelnikov-Orishak said in a conversation with RT.
Pavel Feldman, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at RUDN University, in turn, believes that Trump “lost touch with reality” at a speech in Tulsa. In an interview with RT, he noted that with such jokes the head of the White House gives the Democrats “a convenient reason for reasoned criticism” in their own address.
“With sarcasm regarding the coronavirus, Trump greatly went too far, which the Democrats will certainly take advantage of. For all its shortcomings, the opponents of the US president got a good opportunity to justifiably and fairly criticize him, ”says Feldman.
At the same time, analysts emphasize that the coronavirus threat in the United States is still relevant.
As previously reported in the White House, about 10% of United States citizens have already been tested at COVID-19. According to the WHO, in total, doctors identified 2.2 million infected. Recently, the daily increase is about 20 thousand cases.
The total number of deaths from coronavirus in the United States is the largest in the world - more than 118 thousand people.
Mortality among those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the United States currently stands at 5.3%. This figure in the United States is almost four times higher than in the Russian Federation (about 1.4%).
“Yes, in some European countries, mortality from coronavirus was even higher than in the United States. But if we compare American indicators with Russian reality, the difference will be very noticeable. Unlike the United States, the Russian Federation initially adequately assessed the scale of the threat, trained doctors and treated patients with coronavirus free of charge, ”Feldman explained.
The work of the Russian health system was highly appreciated by WHO. As previously noted in the organization, in Russia there was no shortage of beds and ventilation devices. All necessary measures were taken in advance.
Note that in this case, Washington’s dialogue with WHO has come to naught. In April, Trump accused the organization of “conspiring” with China, and subsequently completely broke off relations with it and announced the termination of its financing.
Meanwhile, the organization refrained from harshly criticizing American policies to combat coronavirus. In late May, the head of the Pan American Health Organization of WHO, Carissa Etienne, condemned the easing of restrictions in countries of the American continent, including the United States.
- US police and protesters during a pandemic
- Reuters
- © Shannon Stapleton
Across the ocean, the situation with coronavirus is complicated by ongoing mass protests after the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. At the same time, the White House continues to argue that the rallies and riots did not lead to a surge in the incidence rate, however, experts believe that the American authorities need to take maximum non-violent measures so that indignant citizens stop going outside and begin to comply with sanitary standards.
Currently, the most widespread rates of infection are observed in the south and west of the United States. As reported by the Washington Post on June 20, locals are virtually non-compliant. For example, Texas City Mayors urge citizens to wear masks when visiting public places.
So, the head of San Antonio, Ron Nirenberg, notes a steady increase in the number of infected. The publication emphasizes that the mask regime is rejected by US citizens, who, as a rule, adhere to conservative views.
"A very dangerous phase"
Recall that the United States faced the problem of the massive spread of coronavirus in the second half of March. Moreover, shortly before that, Trump denied the seriousness of the threat and refused to introduce any measures to contain it in the country.
So, on March 9, the US president wrote on Twitter that much more Americans are dying of the usual flu and "no one is shutting anything, life and the economy are taking their course." He said that from 27 thousand to 70 thousand people become flu victims each year.
However, a few days before this statement, the World Health Organization warned that COVID-19 is much more dangerous than the usual SARS. According to WHO estimates, the probability of death from a new type of virus infection is at least 3.5 times higher than from seasonal flu.
On March 13, Trump finally declared a state of emergency in connection with the rampant COVID-19. Nevertheless, fearing a recession, the US president continued to demand that Americans return to their normal working rhythm as quickly as possible.
In early April, when several hundred thousand cases of coronavirus were recorded in the United States, Trump said that, according to the authorities, the number of deaths as a result of the pandemic will vary from 100 to 240 thousand people.
According to experts, since the spring, the position of Trump and the White House on the coronavirus threat has not undergone significant changes. According to The Wall Street Journal, the administration does not expect a second wave of pandemic, which is predicted by the world professional community and the governments of other states.
The opinion that the USA will not be covered by a new wave of the epidemic was expressed in mid-June by US Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs Larry Kudlow during an online meeting with clients of investment consulting company Evercore. The official said that outbreaks in the southern states (in particular, in South Carolina and Arizona) are associated with increased testing volumes.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warns that the danger of the massive spread of coronavirus has not disappeared. At a virtual press conference on June 19, WHO head Tedros Adhan Ghebreyesus said that "the world is in a new and very dangerous phase."
Jokes aside
According to Mikhail Sinelnikov-Orishak, Trump and his administration's neglect of the dangers of COVID-19 is dictated, among other things, by a certain weakening of Americans' attention to the problem of coronavirus. This political scientist explains the moral fatigue of US citizens from a constant discussion of infection and the unrest that stirred up the whole country under the slogan Black Lives Matter.
“Naturally, the problem of COVID-19 remains relevant, but society in the United States is somewhat tired of discussing this topic. In addition, with the death of Floyd, new questions appeared on the agenda. Trump felt this and once again expressed thoughts about the coronavirus that he, as president, should not have voiced, ”Sinelnikov-Orishak argues.
- American Coronavirus Laboratory
- Reuters
- © Brendan McDermid
Pavel Feldman takes a slightly different point of view. He believes that with the help of sarcasm, Trump is trying to translate the difficult situation with COVID-19 into a “humorous plane”, thus easing the tension in society. However, as the expert noted, the US president risks earning a reputation as a politician who does not really take the coronavirus threat seriously.
“Coronavirus is not a question to laugh at now. In my opinion, US residents who are somewhat distracted from the situation with COVID-19, it is still obvious that the problem of the spread of infection has not gone away. Moreover, the achievements of the Americans in the field of the fight against the virus are very weak. Yes, the American economy functions more or less normally, but belated quarantine measures and problems with medical care did not allow saving the lives of tens of thousands of people, ”Feldman concluded.