Public Comment

The Trump administration’s decision to fire the U.S. Coronavirus pandemic response team in 2018 to cut costs was ill-advised. The CDC’s stark warning on the dangers of the virus came on the same day that White House’s economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, dismissed the threat telling CNBC the virus was “contained.” His re mark echoed President Trump’s assessment that the coronavirus was “very well under control.” The cost-cutting measures were made by his administration gutting the nation’s response to the virus’s looming threat. 

Funding cuts to the CDC forced the agency to abort efforts to help countries to prevent infectious-disease threats from becoming epidemics in 39 of 49 countries in 2018. Among the countries abandoned was China. Disease-outbreak prevention had been cut by a staggering 80%.  

Clearly embarrassed by the conflicting messages from the White House, the President appointed Vice-President Pence to be his point man, a man who has no experience on health issues. There seems to be more concern with tightening the massaging of the Coronavirus than trying to prepare for its impending invasion of the US. His Twitter fingers were busy blasting CNN and other networks for stoking fears of the virus which he continues to downplay. 

If the markets continue their downward slide it may adversely impact Trump’s reelection prospects. He is clearly more concerned about the virus’s economic impact than the welfare of the American people and the world at large.