Donald Trump hasn’t attended a coronavirus meeting ‘in at least five months’

President Trump Delivers Address On Law And Order At White House

Donald Trump is a loser and an idiot. He’s solely focused on convincing the millions of dumbasses who voted for him that he “won” the election. He did not. He is not focused whatsoever on the massively surging pandemic. Trump’s words and actions have directly led to tens of thousands of deaths, I truly believe – if he would just stop with these f–king games (even at this late stage of the pandemic) and tell all of his fascist loser fans to wear a damn mask and social-distance, we would be in a much better place. But instead, Trump has basically disassociated himself from all things pandemic-related, except for trying to take credit for Pfizer’s vaccine, of course. Trump hasn’t even attended any coronavirus briefings in months:

Since Election Day and for weeks prior, Trump has all but ceased to actively manage the deadly pandemic, which so far has killed at least 244,000 Americans, infected at least 10.9 million and choked the country’s economy. The president has not attended a coronavirus task force meeting in “at least five months,” said one senior administration official with knowledge of the meetings who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share candid details.

Now, as he fights for his political life, falsely claiming the election was somehow rigged against him, Trump has abdicated one of the central duties of the job he claims to want: leading the country through a devastating pandemic as it heads into a grim winter. “I don’t know that I think that’s where his focus is,” said one senior administration official. “But I know that’s where our focus needs to get back to.”

This account of Trump’s indifference and inaction on the newly surging coronavirus pandemic is based on interviews with more than a dozen administration officials, Trump allies, health advisers and others familiar with the response, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Trump has increasingly eschewed the advice of even his own public health and medical experts. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, has proposed several times reducing in-person dining in restaurants and bars, but Trump has dismissed her suggestions, a senior administration official said. He has also ignored the calls by Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for more aggressive messaging on the importance of mask-wearing, officials said.

The president is no longer regularly briefed on the pandemic by his team of doctors, and he rarely reads the daily virus reports prepared by Birx, a senior administration official said. The reports have grown increasingly grim in recent weeks, aides said, but are largely ignored in the West Wing. Several of the administration’s top medical experts — including Birx, Fauci and Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams — have only infrequently visited the White House in recent weeks, administration officials said.

[From WaPo]

I was in my local grocery store yesterday and not only was it jam-packed, but the toilet paper aisle was cleaned out. My point is that even with the abject lack of federal leadership, Americans can feel it in the air, that lockdowns are coming, that they need to prepare and stock up on everything. It would nice to get that information from the White House, instead of every state’s governor trying to make their own calls about what lockdown measures to reintroduce. And governors of both parties don’t want to be the ones to say that people shouldn’t do Thanksgiving, but there you go – don’t travel for Thanksgiving. Don’t host a dozen people for Thanksgiving. If you do Thanksgiving, go outdoors.

Vanity Fair also says that the White House has not been coordinating their events with health experts for a while, which may explain how the Trump “victory party” on Election Night turned into a superspreader event. And all of this as the Trump administration actively thwarts those same health experts from coordinating with the incoming Biden administration. AND the Trump administration and Republican-led Senate will probably NOT do any kind of coronavirus-stimulus bill this month or next.

United States President Donald J. Trump and First lady Melania Trump participate in a  National Veterans Day Observance

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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28 Responses to “Donald Trump hasn’t attended a coronavirus meeting ‘in at least five months’”

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  1. aquarius64 says:

    Georgia to send 2 Dam senators because of this foolishness. Karma.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      Yes – I don’t think karma is finished with Dump and the GOP. Not by a long shot. I so want her to go after Moscow Mitch.

  2. SJ Knows says:

    Wretched, vile, evil, crooked, ego-driven POS this man is beyond belief!

  3. Feedmechips says:

    Honestly it’s probably better that he doesn’t attend.

    • Bibi says:

      Right on. And Fauci better not to be around the infected at the WH. How many Americans would have lived if he had some interest in the people. Omg unbelievable. I cant wait for jan 20

      • Feedmechips says:

        It’s hard enough as it is for the adults in the room to do their duty. No one has time or energy to waste on a petulant child’s temper tantrums.

  4. Busyann says:

    I was in Target yesterday and no one was in there and the toilet paper was down to nothing. Two weeks ago, that was not the case. So yeah, people know what’s coming.

    My state has started placing more restrictions, but I dont think we’re going to lockdown like before, it just seems like people are making the choice on their own to lockdown.

    Can’t he just back up his Uhaul and Orange Dusted crap and leave now? He’s basically abdicated his responsibilities now anyway. Besides the Covid House needs months of airing out before our President, Dr. Biden, and those two pups move in.

    • Also Ali says:

      Tomorrow we go into a new lock down for the next month. Restaurants, gyms, etc shut down again. And as a new twist grocery stores are now limited to 25% capacity so, yeah, panic buying has started and I’m not bitter at all towards the White House and the states still doing the what pandemic routine.

    • Noodle says:

      @busiann, my Target was packed, but the toilet paper and paper towel aisle was barren. We are in California where our cases are still fairly low, but who knows for how long. Unfortunately, we have a lot of MAGA folks who are packing the bars and restaurants and gyms maskless, and harassing those who are wearing masks. My kids are in hybrid school right now for another week (before they get Thanksgiving week off), but given the state of the nation, I’m not sure they will go back in person for a while. Thankfully, Newsom has set some strict standards for in-person schooling, so once the threshold is crossed, that’s it, everyone goes home. Gah. Just thinking about another spring of 100% virtual schooling with everything shut down is creating so much anxiety in me!

      • Also Ali says:

        We’ve been in virtual school since last year. Our public schools never opened up but our NFL team is playing and churches and private schools are open. The exceptions are maddening to me when we’ve been staying home and had very little outside activity for nearly a year and even the littlest bit of activities heading into a dark and wet and already isolating winter season are now prohibited, too. I will probably have a crying break down soon, regroup and get through it, thankful for what we do have and aware of the struggles and sacrifices of so many others but seriously fuck Donald Trump and his psychotic supporters. Fuck all the way off.

  5. Lightpurple says:

    He tweeted last night that he won the election. We need to put pressure on the Cabinet and the GOP to stop this dangerous nonsense and remove him from office now.

    • SamC says:

      I’ll reiterate what I wrote last week…if his campaign poll watchers were not “allowed” in to monitor ballot counting or sit in precincts, 99% positive it’s because they just showed up and assumed they could bully their way in and did not bother to follow the rules and protocols for election monitors, including registering in advance, identifying themselves, carrying appropriate documentation, etc.

  6. Seraphina says:

    If I missed meetings that were of much importance where I work, I would be fired. Just saying.

    • Yup, Me says:

      Well, he’s been fired. He’s just such an extraordinary sociopath that he’s insisting on continuing his grifting through his severance period – you know, before all those pesky legal issues come at him full force.

      I’m shocked that so many idiot followers of his are still showing up for rallies and sending him money, though. Cognitive dissonance is hella real.

  7. Becks1 says:

    I’m scared for the winter. I know too many people who are getting together with thanksgiving and are okay with it because “its just my parents and siblings” – heck one person I know who is pretty smart and has been very good about social distancing etc said on FB “we’re celebrating with 8 other adults and 6 kids and I think that’s going to be fine.” and I’m like, NO. DONT DO IT. Our governor announced he was spending Thanksgiving alone with his wife. Everyone needs to be doing that.

    Anyway it would be nice to have a president who cared about the 244k dead Americans, but Trump hasn’t cared about them from the beginning.

  8. Swack says:

    The governor in my state won’t even do a mask mandate. Thank goodness for local govt who are stepping up. We are not on a lockdown but restaurants and bars have been told no more inside service four weeks. Hopefully that will get us to see where things stand after Thanksgiving. Also, has the task force even had meetings on any regular basis?

  9. SamC says:

    In all seriousness, what does the man do all day besides golf, watch Fox and Tweet? He should have been voted out simply for not doing the job he was “hired” to do.

    • Size Does Matter says:

      Exactly. He’s doing nothing except maybe positioning to help out some of his cronies or swipe at dems. We call that “short-timer syndrome.”

  10. Olive Malone says:

    Oh he doesn’t care. Never did. He may have been concerned about how the virus made him look and halfheartedly pretended to care about American lives prior to the election, but now he really can just ignore pesky COVID (He already had it and that would’ve been his only concern). The man needs to tend to important things like his feelings, fragile ego and grifting!

    • Seraphina says:

      Correct, he and his minions do not care. For if they did they would have used smoke and mirrors of concern long ago (the graying of the hair due to his worry and dismay). Trump thinks of his presidency like a business and unfortunately for him, these citizens took not and decided his fate in 2020. It’s not Trump Towers where there are no ramifications if people get laid off, these deaths are on his hands and we took notice.

  11. T says:

    His inaction has lead to deaths. That, for me, is what should be landing him behind bars right now. Feels like treason to me.

  12. Michael says:

    I think Trump is actively trying to sabotage any Corona fight so he can try to blame it on Biden. I also think he is more than willing to burn the country down to the ground on his way out. He hates America for not making him king

  13. AnnaKist says:

    Geez. What a tosser he is. I reckon he checked out of his *work* as president of your country a long time ago. If there’s work to do, he shirks the responsibility. If there’s adulation to be had, he’ll be there with bells on. If nothing’s doing, he’ll start something for his minions to attend to show their adoration of him. I know I’ve said it as a throw-away line, but his followers really are dumb arses. Stupid and wilfully ignorant; a gift to a lying, manipulative, shit stirring despot like Dump. He doesn’t even need to do his own dirty work. He simply whips these idiots into a frenzy and then sits back to watches the fireworks.

    Our prime minister gives the overall message of the pandemic, but largely leaves it to the states’ premieres to run things, according to their state’s needs. Every day is something new, even for the experts. As one said, “We don’t have much to fight this this deadly virus, but we can take simple measures such as wearing a mask, washing and drying hands and physically distancing. Simple things that everyone can do, that do have an impact in contains the virus.” We’ve had some cluster outbreaks, but by and large, we’ve done pretty well dealing with the pandemic. Being an island has gone a long way in cushioning us, but we are warned every day not to become complacent, as we could have an outbreak at any time, just as happened to South Australian yesterday. But Dump has to be oppositional, because, you know, apart from everything else he is, he’s an expert on science. His behaviour is criminal. In the meantime, more people die.

    How long do you guys think his stupid tantrum can go on for? What will happen if he sump.y refuses to vacate the White House and hand the reins over to Mr Biden?

  14. Case says:

    I’m genuinely scared for winter. In NJ our cases are already looking worse than March and yet no talk of a lockdown yet? I think the GOP narrative around lockdowns has made politicians afraid to have another lockdown, but seriously, we as a nation never had a meaningful, uniform lockdown to begin with. The LEAST we can do is shut down states spiking badly.

  15. Christin says:

    Dereliction of duty example number 57785?

    Leaders lead by example. It’s not completely surprising that a South Dakota ER nurse described COVID patients spending their last moments angry and in denial that the virus is real.

    My personal stance has been to stay stocked up on essentials and avoid people without masks. Our local health care system literally described the process for closing and disinfecting COVID patient body bags, in an attempt to get the public’s attention. I personally think the brainwashing is so severe that some people (like the SD nurse) described are beyond reach.

  16. Digital Unicorn says:

    He’ll start showing an interest now considering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine’s for which he’s trying to take credit for.

    Do you guys think there will be a national lockdown in the US?

  17. KeepCalmandBergeron says:

    My state went back into a modified lockdown on Friday – no gatherings of people outside your household essentially shutting down Thanksgiving. The interesting bit was that they are allowing schools, restaurants, gyms, etc to stay open and pretty openly called out adults, saying that most, if not all, of the new cases are coming from social events where people are not wearing masks, distancing or doing anything to minimize risk.

  18. Ragna says:

    We’ve been steadily creeping towards another lockdown and the potential that we might not be able to celebrate Christmas or do so with a lot of limitations.

    Right now people are worried that if we don’t turn this around people might not be able to go home to celebrate Christmas and that’s still a little way off.

    Obviously the US isn’t necessarily in the same predicament everywhere, but seeing how a lot of places have it pretty bad, the idea that some might go ahead and have “normal” Thanksgiving seems insane to me.

    I’m only celebrating Christmas with my dad this year, if I celebrate, and that feels risky and sometimes unlikely as it is.