Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Mike Pence Tried to Claim That Trump Never 'Belittled the Threat' of the Virus and Wolf Blitzer Was Not Having It

Mike Pence Tried to Claim That Trump Never 'Belittled the Threat' of the Virus and Wolf Blitzer Was Not Having It
CNN

The pandemic that thrust the United States into a national health crisis was repeatedly dismissed by President Donald Trump during its early stages, when prevention was most feasible.

Trump ignored simulations and intelligence briefings that warned the United States was not prepared for a pandemic. Then, the first US cases began getting diagnosed.


Trump and his administration continued to claim that the threat of the virus was being overblown by journalists determined to undermine his presidency.

Once the United States had reached 15 cases in February, the President said that cases would be down to zero in a week, and that the virus would disappear like a "miracle."

As recently as last month, the President compared the virus to a common flu—a talking point that his own officials warned would worsen the spread.

Trump reluctantly gave up an effort to have businesses and gatherings in the country back up and running by Easter, after health experts warned that wouldn't be enough time to slow the spread of the virus.

With Trump finally acknowledging the dangers of the pandemic, it might not be surprising that Vice President Mike Pence tried to convince Americans in a CNN interview that Trump had been taking the threat seriously all along.

Watch below.

Pence said to CNN's Wolf Blitzer:

"I don't believe the President has ever belittled the threat of [the virus]...the American people can be assured that President Trump is going to continue to be confident that we will meet this moment."

Wolf was quick to bring the receipts:

"He was saying at one point it wasn't as bad as the regular flu, and he was talking about automobile accidents. He seemed to be suggesting, at one point, there were 15 cases that would get down to zero very quickly."

Pence responded:

"The President is an optimistic person. We've been, from the very beginning when the President suspended all travel from China and stood up the...task force in January, we have been hoping for the best but planning for the worst."

A nationwide shortage of medical equipment and the President's reluctance to use federal powers to distribute resources to the states seem to contradict Pence's assurances.

People saw through his talking points.




Health experts—including those on Trump's task force—predict up to 240,000 deaths will still occur even with a nationwide lockdown, for which Trump has yet to call.

The President recently said that fewer than 200,000 deaths would mean his administration did a "good job," though many of these deaths could have been prevented with a more robust initial response.

Though Trump may find 200,000 deaths acceptable, others do not.




Don't fall for it.

More from People/donald-trump

Screenshots of Justin Bieber being hounded by paparazzi
X17OnlineVideo

Fans Defend Justin Bieber After He Confronts Paparazzi For Constantly Hounding Him

Fans defended Justin Bieber after he berated the relentless paparazzi and accused them of only being concerned with turning a profit over valuing people's lives.

According to X17, the "Intentions" singer's retreat to Palm Springs, days before the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, was anything but relaxing as he clashed with the paparazzi for a third day in a row.

Keep ReadingShow less
RFK Jr.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

RFK Jr. Slammed After Claiming HHS Will Discover The Cause Of 'Autism Epidemic' By September

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that scientists would determine the cause of the "autism epidemic" by September, even though scientists haven't discovered a breakthrough despite decades of research.

In a cabinet meeting with Republican President Donald Trump on Thursday, RFK Jr. stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
J.D. Vance and Usha Vance listen to Susan Meyers during his Greenland visit
Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Space Force Commander Fired Over Email Criticizing Vance's Greenland Comments

Vice President J.D. Vance and the wider Trump administration are facing criticism now that Colonel Susan Meyers was removed from her post as commander at Greenland's Pituffik Space Base after breaking with Vance in an email she wrote following his controversial visit to the island territory.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, alongside the Faroe Islands, the only other autonomous territory within the Kingdom. Citizens of both Greenland and the Faroe Islands are full citizens of Denmark. As one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, Greenland’s citizens are also recognized as EU citizens.

Keep ReadingShow less
Karoline Leavitt and Scott Bessent
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt Dragged After Making Mind-Numbing Claim About Trump's Tariffs Reversal

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is getting called out after she attempted to justify President Donald Trump's sudden reversal on his proposed tariffs, telling reporters that his actions make sense because he has a master plan to make the world bend the knee.

Trump declared a full 90-day suspension of all the “reciprocal” tariffs that took effect at midnight April 10—except for those on China—in a dramatic about-face from a president who had long championed his historically high tariff rates as permanent.

Keep ReadingShow less
religion signs
Noah Holm on Unsplash

People Explain What Stopped Them From Going To Church Anymore

There's been a perception of a bit of an exodus from religion for the last several decades. But humanity has gone from no organized religions to oppressive religious regimes to rebellion and back again over the last several millennia.

But is the 21st century when religion finally fails to bounce back?

Keep ReadingShow less