The Trump Coronavirus Scandal Continues
SlateWho’s responsible for America’s disastrous mismanagement of COVID-19? A Trump campaign memo noted that most Republicans supported “mandatory masks at least indoors when in public.” The memo said voters favored the idea of Trump “issuing an executive order mandating the use of masks in public places.” The Post says that based on these findings, Fabrizio, Jared Kushner, and then–Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale “urged Trump to model good behavior by wearing a mask, and to encourage his supporters to do so.” But Trump refused. A campaign adviser says Trump listened, but “the argument just didn’t move him.” A Post source says Meadows “threatened to fire White House Medical Unit doctors … if they helped release information about new infections.” 2. And when COVID invaded the White House, Meadows “sought to conceal some cases … and instructed at least one fellow adviser who sought to disclose an infection not to.” A Post source says Meadows “threatened to fire White House Medical Unit doctors … if they helped release information about new infections.” Meadows’ office denies this allegation. When some Trump campaign advisers expressed concern about holding rallies that violated health protocols, they “were largely ignored, with allies arguing that rallies were key to the president’s brand and that the raucous events also helped improve his mood.” Later, Melania Trump, Karen Pence, and others hosted COVID-defiant Christmas parties at which “servers and others were forced to work and exposed for hours to guests who were not wearing masks.” According to the Post, “At least one worker who got infected never heard from anyone in the White House about the illness.” Thousands of Americans would have died in this pandemic even under ideal government.