I’ve been jotting rough notes during the televised Coronavirus Task Force briefings. Typing on a smart phone’s small keyboard, for me, is challenging, that’s why these notes are rough, but here’s what I’ve got so far.
I jotted; POTUS touts a drug, suggesting it may soon be available?
Dr. Fauci (Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) seems to be cautioning that various drugs have some toxicity, he’s attempting to manage expectations regarding what POTUS just mentioned?
POTUS says Mike (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) probably can’t stay long at the briefing, he has to get back to work at the State Department. Then – is this campaign-style humor? — POTUS adds, ‘… or as they call it, the Deep State Department.’
A reporter asks if there’s any new information about a recent rocket attack against coalition forces in Iraq. Apparently looking in Pompeo’s direction, POTUS begins to say; Maybe we should not talk…
To avoid spilling a top secret, is that it? Then — to show his Administration’s on top of things? — POTUS adds, “Oh, we know a lot.”
Before scurrying back to duties at the State Department, Pompeo says he’s worked with POTUS for three years and knows how much the president cares — about the pandemic and more, is that what Pompeo’s suggesting? — POTUS leans in, saying; Good answer! (But, did POTUS mean to say, Good point?)
Discussing getting more ventilators to hospitals, POTUS says something about ventilators being very complicated machines. Just minutes later, the vice president suggests they’re not so complicated.
Wondering if these rough notes reflect how others view task force briefings, I check commentary in the media. In USA Today, for example…
Trump is back to making a mockery of daily briefings and fostering confusion among Americans at a time when they are desperate for straight talk… as Italy reported a gruesome spike in fatalities and US governors moved to take drastic steps to control social interaction, Trump told the nation: “Relax. We’re doing great. It will pass.” He seemed giddy over the Fed’s action on interest rates.
And in an AP article:
When President Donald Trump speaks, financial markets gyrate and quiver in real time… But that hasn’t stopped the president from holding forth almost daily about the coronavirus pandemic and its economic implications without waiting until markets have closed for the day…
…leading economists predicted unemployment spiking to 10% or more. Trump, meanwhile, took the White House podium in the middle of the trading day to offer an optimistic take on his administration’s response to the crisis… “One of the elements that is being worked on very much so on the Hill is to keep the jobs going so that when we do get rid of the virus, we’re going to be able to just really… go like a rocket,” said Trump.
And this, too, in the article:
The president headed to the same place again on Friday, while the markets were open, for an even longer news conference, where he vacillated between expressing optimism and lashing out about ‘nasty journalists’ negativity.
I jot down more rough notes before wrapping up this article. The Sunday Task Force briefing is underway. POTUS, pretty much dominating the briefing, adds some new developments and repeated various things he’s mentioned previously.
When a reporter asks about Senator Mitt Romney being in self-quarantine, due to exposure to another Republican senator who tested positive for the coronavirus, the president says something like: Mitt Romney is in quarantine? Is that so? Well, too bad!
Is this some sarcasm, since POTUS and Romney haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye, lately?
When asked if he had reached out to any of his predecessors who had handled other disasters — the Great Recession, hurricanes and such — POTUS talks about having a great team, suggesting that past presidents handled disasters poorly. Then, he talks about refusing to take his paycheck for being president, opining that no one’s ever said ‘thank you’ for his sacrifice. He seems to be aiming his angst at the news media.
He complains: I get excoriated all the time. ‘Excoriate,’ in the dictionary, can mean being flayed verbally.
He goes on; Everyone is suing me, I’ve lost billions being president; I am a rich man.
The president jokes to a reporter asking him about coronavirus testing. Pointing to the reporter, POTUS says; Do you need a test?
Well, you know, a little levity in a pandemic? Especially since, while the Sunday briefing is underway, CNBC reports; the “Coronavirus stimulus bill fails in key senate procedural vote.”
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.