{"slug":"covid-pandemic-response-failures","title":"COVID-19 Pandemic Response: Deliberate Downplaying and Policy Failures Leading to Hundreds of Thousands of Preventable Deaths","date":"2020-01-22","lastUpdated":"2021-01-19","description":"The Trump administration knew of COVID-19's severity in late January 2020 and deliberately downplayed it publicly for months. Documented failures include disbanding the NSC pandemic preparedness office, rejecting WHO test kits, blocking mask guidance, promoting unproven treatments, pressuring states not to issue stay-at-home orders, and — according to taped interviews — admitting to deliberately minimizing the threat. Over 400,000 Americans died before Biden's inauguration.","summary":"Bob Woodward's taped interviews revealed Trump said in February 2020 that COVID-19 was 'deadly stuff' and 'more deadly than even your strenuous flus' — while publicly calling it 'no worse than the flu' and 'a Democratic hoax.' The administration rejected WHO tests, blocked CDC mask guidance, slow-walked ventilator production, pressured states to reopen prematurely, promoted hydroxychloroquine against scientific evidence, and suggested people inject disinfectant. By Inauguration Day 2021, 400,000 Americans were dead.","category":"federal-dismantlement","severity":"extreme","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-coronavirus-woodward/2020/09/09/0368fe3c-f228-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html","title":"Trump admits to deliberately playing down coronavirus threat in new Woodward book","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-response-failures-leadership.html","title":"He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump's Failure on the Virus","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/18/us/politics/trump-white-house-pandemic-preparedness.html","title":"White House Failed to Heed Pandemic Team's Warnings","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/02/feds-state-competition-over-medical-equipment-coronavirus-161553","title":"Feds are seizing masks and other coronavirus supplies from states","publisher":"Politico"},{"url":"https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52496514","title":"Coronavirus: Outcry after Trump suggests injecting disinfectant as treatment","publisher":"BBC News"},{"url":"https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2121765119","title":"Excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States","publisher":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences"},{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm","title":"Excess Deaths Associated with COVID-19","publisher":"CDC"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["COVID-19","pandemic","public-health","first-term","mass-deaths","misinformation","federal-dismantlement"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2018-05-09","title":"NSC pandemic preparedness office disbanded","summary":"The Trump administration disbands the NSC's Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense — the office created after Ebola to coordinate pandemic early warning and response. Its director, Rear Admiral Timothy Ziemer, leaves without a successor."},{"date":"2020-01-22","title":"Trump dismisses COVID risk in Davos interview","summary":"Asked about the emerging virus in China, Trump tells CNBC: 'We have it totally under control. It's one person coming in from China. It's going to be just fine.'"},{"date":"2020-01-28","title":"Woodward tape: Trump says 'deadly stuff'","summary":"In a recorded interview with Bob Woodward, Trump describes COVID-19: 'This is deadly stuff... It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flus. This is five percent versus one percent and less than one percent.' This recording is not published until September 2020."},{"date":"2020-02-01","title":"U.S. rejects WHO test kits","summary":"The U.S. declines WHO test kits distributed to 60+ countries, preferring to develop its own tests. The CDC's test development effort fails, leaving the U.S. effectively without a functional coronavirus test for weeks during the critical early-spread period."},{"date":"2020-02-28","title":"Trump calls COVID a 'hoax'","summary":"At a South Carolina rally, Trump refers to the Democrats' criticism of his handling of the virus as 'the new hoax' — which many listeners interpret as calling the virus itself a hoax."},{"date":"2020-03-25","title":"Trump pushes hydroxychloroquine","summary":"Trump begins advocating for hydroxychloroquine as a COVID treatment in defiance of the FDA and CDC, who say there is no evidence of efficacy and significant risks. He tells the press 'What do you have to lose?' Subsequent trials show the drug has no benefit and can cause cardiac harm."},{"date":"2020-04-23","title":"Trump suggests injecting disinfectant","summary":"At a White House briefing, Trump suggests that injecting or ingesting bleach or disinfectants might work against COVID: 'Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?' Manufacturers of disinfectant products issue emergency warnings."},{"date":"2020-05-15","title":"Kushner shadow supply chain competes with states","summary":"Reports reveal that FEMA's Kushner-led task force has been competing with states for PPE on the open market and in some cases facilitating the seizure of state-ordered shipments."},{"date":"2020-08-10","title":"Scott Atlas appointed — promotes herd immunity","summary":"Trump appoints Scott Atlas, a radiologist with no infectious disease background, as his COVID-19 advisor. Atlas opposes mask mandates, promotes herd immunity, and advises against measures supported by Fauci, Birx, and CDC."},{"date":"2020-09-09","title":"Woodward tapes published — Trump's private admissions revealed","summary":"Bob Woodward publishes Rage, revealing Trump's February statements on tape acknowledging COVID's lethality — simultaneous with his public minimization of the threat."},{"date":"2021-01-19","title":"400,000 Americans dead the day before Biden's inauguration","summary":"The U.S. COVID death toll crosses 400,000 the day before Biden's inauguration. A White House candlelight vigil marks the milestone. Trump holds no public event acknowledging the toll."}],"location":{"name":"Washington, DC / United States","lat":38.9072,"lng":-77.0369},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"potential","internationalLaw":[{"statute":"International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights","article":"Article 12","provision":"Right to the highest attainable standard of health — states are obligated to take measures to prevent and control epidemic diseases"},{"statute":"International Health Regulations (2005)","article":"Article 12","provision":"State parties must maintain core public health capacities and report public health emergencies of international concern"}],"iccRelevance":false,"civilianCasualties":400000,"victims":"Over 400,000 Americans died of COVID-19 by January 20, 2021; excess mortality studies suggest the true toll is higher; disproportionate impact on Black, Latino, Indigenous, and elderly Americans","structuredVictims":[{"group":"Americans who died of COVID-19 before Biden's inauguration","status":"400,000+ deaths, disproportionately affecting communities of color","count":400000}],"structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President of the United States","institution":"White House"},{"name":"Jared Kushner","role":"Senior Advisor — led shadow COVID task force","institution":"White House"},{"name":"Scott Atlas","role":"White House COVID Advisor (appointed August 2020)","institution":"White House"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2021-01-19","summary":"Updated with 400,000 death milestone the day before Biden's inauguration."},{"date":"2020-09-09","summary":"Updated with Woodward tape revelations."}]}}