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Press Release

After Failing to Produce Tests He Promised, Trump Tries to Pass the Buck to Governors

By April 17, 2020No Comments

Moments ago, President Donald Trump demanded that states step up testing:

But the reality is that Trump is trying to shift blame to the states for his own failures in delivering the millions of tests his administration promised:

  • By The Seventh Week Of Coronavirus Spread In The U.S., Trump HHS Secretary Alex Azar Promised 4 Million Tests But Delivered Only 25,200. “Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar visited the CDC lab in Atlanta on March 6, praising the agency’s performance and promising 4 million test kits would be available by the end of the following week. That lofty number didn’t match the ability of U.S. labs to process tests, however. Private providers were just then ramping up, while CDC and state health labs processed about 25,200 COVID-19 tests in the following seven days, according to CDC data.” [Associated Press, 3/23/20]

  • The Trump Administration Expected To Have “Well Over 27 Million” Coronavirus Tests In The Market By March 28, 2020. Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services Admiral Brett Giroir said of coronavirus tests at a White House press conference: “We expect that, by March 28th, to be well over 27 million into the market.” [White House Press Conference, 3/21/20]

  • Trump Falsely Claimed “Anybody That Needs A Test Gets A Test.” “Anybody right now and yesterday — anybody that needs a test gets a test. We — they’re there. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful. Anybody that needs a test gets a test. If there’s a doctor that wants to test, if there’s somebody coming off a ship — like the big monster ship that’s out there right now, which, you know — again, that’s a big decision.” [Donald Trump, Briefing At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3/6/20]

  • Trump Claimed That “Millions” Of Tests Were Being Made. “But anybody that needs a test can have a test. They’re all set. They have them out there. In addition to that, they’re making millions of more as we speak. But as of right now and yesterday, anybody that needs a test — that’s the important thing — and the tests are all perfect, like the letter was perfect.” [Donald Trump, Briefing At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3/6/20]

  • HEADLINE: “Trump Promised Scores Of Big-Box Retailers Would Offer Parking Lots For Covid-19 Testing. There Are Only Five Of Them.” [Washington Post, 3/27/20]

    • TRUMP: “We’ve been in discussions with pharmacies and retailers to make drive-through tests available in the critical locations identified by public health professionals. The goal is for individuals to be able to drive up and be swabbed without having to leave your car.” [White House Press Conference, 3/13/20]