A FAILURE TO LEAD

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S DISASTROUS A

RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

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ANALYSIS SUMMARY

President Trump Failed to Provide the American

People the Truth, Fired Watchdogs, Sidelined

Experts, Misled the Public and Obstructed

Congressional Oversight

President Trump Failed to Prepare and

Adequately Respond to the Pandemic, Leading to

Millions Infected, Thousands Dead and the Worst

Economic Disaster Since the Great Depression

President Trump Failed to Execute a

50-State Strategy to Test and Trace,

Reopen the Economy and Open Schools Safely
President Trump’s deadly denial, distortion and delay has led to the worst federal response to a

national emergency in our history. His actions are directly responsible for tens of thousands of

needless deaths, tens of millions of people out

of work, and mass confusion that has crippled

our nation’s response. Instead of taking

decisive action to stop the spread of the virus,

he ignored early warnings, spent months

downplaying the crisis and intentionally misled

the American public on every aspect of the

pandemic. Trump has failed to produce an

adequate national testing strategy, failed to

develop a plan to safely reopen schools, failed

to coordinate a 50-state strategy to respond to

the pandemic and failed to use the full power

of the Defense Production Act to produce and

coordinate the distribution of personal

protective equipment (PPE) and critical

supplies for our frontline heroes.

Eighty percent of the American public believe the country is heading in the wrong direction – and an

overwhelming majority disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the response to the coronavirus

pandemic. The American people

are desperate for leadership from President

Trump and his Administration, yet the

President continues to make a bad situation

worse. He continues to gamble with the lives

of the American people and sow mass

confusion that has crippled our nation’s

response. And at every turn, Trump

has blocked Congress from investigating the

magnitude of his failures and their impact on

the health, safety and economic security of

our communities and the American people.

A Failure to Lead:

The Trump Administration’s Disastrous Response to the Coronavirus Crisis

The United States has been hit harder by the coronavirus pandemic than any nation on Earth.

Nearly 4.8 million Americans have been infected with COVID-19 and 158,000 are tragically dead.

Millions of America’s children are food insecure. Families are on the verge of eviction. Tens of

millions of Americans have applied for Unemployment Insurance, with more than 1 million people

applying each week for 20 weeks straight.

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The U.S. has fared worse than any other country. The United States has just four percent of the

world’s population but 25 percent of the world’s coronavirus infections. More people in the

United States have died from the coronavirus than in any other country – and confirmed cases are

growing faster in the United States than any other country in the world.

Trump failed to prepare. Trump eliminated the White House Global Pandemic Response team,

ignored early warnings about the virus, failed to heed advice from his own staff to rebuild the

national stockpile of critical equipment and withdrew from the World Health Organization, an

essential partner in fighting the pandemic.

Trump failed to provide PPE. Masks, gloves and gowns save lives and stop the spread of the

virus. But Trump refused to make full use of the Defense Production Act and other authorities to

procure and distribute these supplies, forcing states to compete against each other in the private

market and causing shortages and price spikes that continue to this day. Thousands have been

unnecessarily exposed as a result, including nursing home residents who account for at least 40

percent of deaths nationwide.

Trump failed to test and trace. The Administration refused to implement a national strategy to

test, trace and contain the virus, and instead has left cities and states to devise their own plans.

This has led to widespread testing shortages and delays, allowing the virus to spread farther and

faster – and kill more Americans.

Trump left states to fend for themselves. Trump repeatedly rebuffed state and local calls for

federal help to secure PPE, tests and testing materials and other critical medical supplies. The

result was every state for itself. Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan said: “Eventually,

it was clear that waiting around for the President to run the nation’s response was hopeless; if we

delayed any longer, we’d be condemning more of our citizens to suffering and death. So, every

governor went their own way, which is how the United States ended up with such a patchwork

response.”

Trump bullied states, schools and businesses to prematurely reopen, jeopardizing millions.

Trump ignored the government’s own public health experts and urged states to reopen without

getting the virus under control. This led to a huge spike in cases and deaths in dozens of states.

Now, Trump is trying to do the same thing with schools – pressuring them to reopen without a

plan or resources to keep kids, teachers and communities safe.

Trump failed to protect frontline workers. During the worst worker safety crisis in recent

history, the Administration has refused to issue mandatory workplace safety standards that would

save lives. As a result, more than 100,000 health care workers have contracted the virus, and

workers in meatpacking plants, warehouses and many other workplaces across the country have

fallen ill and died from preventable infections.

President Trump Failed to Execute a 50-State Strategy to Test and Trace, Reopen the Economy

and Open Schools Safely

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Trump’s failure to contain the virus wrecked the economy. As a result of the severe and

prolonged public health crisis, the United States has faced the worst job losses since the Great

Depression. More than 55 million Americans – over 30 percent of the labor force – have filed

for first-time jobless claims since March – 20 straight weeks with more than 1 million claims.

Trump falsely claimed the economy is recovering. Trump claimed more than a month ago that

“Jobs are rapidly coming back” and the economic recovery is “happening very quickly, way

ahead of schedule.” In truth, we remain in a deep recession with record unemployment in April

(14.7 percent), May (13.3 percent) and June (11.1 percent), which will remain at least until the

virus is contained.

Trump and Republicans delayed emergency relief and failed working families. Even as millions

of Americans struggle financially, the Administration has failed to effectively distribute billions

of dollars in federal relief, including about $175 billion for health providers.

The Administration also has yet to distribute more than $8 billion for testing.

Millions of Americans have not received their direct stimulus payments yet.

The Department of Labor has failed to track the number of people who are still waiting for

their unemployment claims.

Small businesses have been forced to wait an average of 41 days for emergency loans.

The Department of Treasury and the Fed have failed for nearly four months to fully

implement the Main Street Lending program.

The Department of Labor has weakened paid leave protections passed by Congress, so fewer

workers can stay home if they contract the virus or need to care for a family member.

Trump is blocking critical aid, risking an economic depression. Trump and the Republican

Senate are blocking the Heroes Act, which provides funds for state and local governments to pay

frontline workers; money for testing, tracing and treatment; a second round of direct payments to

President Trump Failed to Prepare and Adequately Respond to the Pandemic, Leading to

Millions Infected, Thousands Dead and the Worst Economic Disaster Since the Great

Depression

families; new payroll protections to help 60

million workers; and critical resources for

schools. Without this aid, the economy could

face imminent disaster as state and local

governments are forced to lay off essential

workers, Americans run out of money for rent

and food and small businesses are forced to

close.

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Trump misled the American people, risking lives. Trump relentlessly downplayed the

coronavirus, calling it a hoax. He refused to promote the wide use of face masks, repeatedly

suppressed or altered Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance and continues

to promote false and misleading information, such as the use of hydroxychloroquine – or even

bleach – as therapeutics, even though our nation’s top scientists have refuted these claims.

Trump fired federal watchdogs. Trump fired the chairman of the Pandemic Response

Accountability Committee, created by Congress to oversee the federal coronavirus response.

Trump also terminated inspectors general at key agencies and is now trying to replace the

Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Trump removed or sidelined experts who disagreed with him. Trump removed the lead public

health official developing medical countermeasures to fight the virus from his post as director of

BARDA because he refused to accept the President’s dangerous pseudoscience, including the

promotion of hydroxychloroquine. Trump’s top aides have continued to publicly attack Dr.

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, for warning the public about the

seriousness of the crisis.

Trump politicized health data. Trump abruptly shifted the reporting of critical hospital data that

previously went to the CDC to a portal managed by a private contractor – without even bothering

to consult with CDC first – bringing into question the accuracy of the data and transparency for

the American people.

Trump blocked aides from testifying. Trump refused to let top aides, including Coronavirus

Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, testify before Congress.

President Trump Failed to Provide the American People the Truth, Fired Watchdogs, Sidelined

Experts, Misled the Public and Obstructed Congressional Oversight

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