UNPREPARED
Top Senate Democrat Warns on Coronavirus: ‘Appalled and Astonished’ by Trump ‘Inadequacy of Preparedness’

A top Senate Democrat who just attended Tuesday morning’s Capitol Hill briefing on the coronavirus is warning that the Trump administration is not prepared to combat the virus that has killed more than 2600 people worldwide.
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) says he is “appalled & astonished … by the inadequacy of preparedness & prevention” in the U.S.
This morning’s classified coronavirus briefing should have been made fully open to the American people—they would be as appalled & astonished as I am by the inadequacy of preparedness & prevention.
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) February 25, 2020
The markets would appear to agree. On Monday the DOW plummeted over 1000 points – making it the worst day in two years.
President Donald Trump, rather than taking decisive action is doing little other than just now requesting $2.5 billion from Congress to begin preparing for the coronavirus. There are 53 confirmed cases in the U.S. right now.
Tuesday morning Trump effectively admitted he is just beginning to prepare for the coronavirus.
Cryin’ Chuck Schumer is complaining, for publicity purposes only, that I should be asking for more money than $2.5 Billion to prepare for Coronavirus. If I asked for more he would say it is too much. He didn’t like my early travel closings. I was right. He is incompetent!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2020
Science journalist Laurie Garrett, who won the Pulitzer prize for her reporting on Ebola, warned just weeks ago in a Foreign Policy op-ed that “Trump Has Sabotaged America’s Coronavirus Response.” She adds: “As it improvises its way through a public health crisis, the United States has never been less prepared for a pandemic.”
While Trump has done little to protect Americans from the virus spreading in the U.S., he just begun a PR offensive via Twitter, with this:
The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2020
Trump postred this tweet Monday, literally minutes after the DOW closed down 1032 points over coronavirus fears.

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