STATEMENT: One Month After Promising 27 Million Tests Donald Trump Mocks Governors For Saying Increased Testing Needed to Control the Pandemic and Reopen the Economy
In response to President Donald Trump’s tweet mocking the country’s governors for sounding the alarm on the need of increased testing, Coronavirus War Room Director Zac Petkanas issued the following statement:
“ Nearly one month ago, the Trump Administration promised 27 million tests by the end of March but to date has only delivered 4 million. That’s unacceptable. Now President Donald Trump is again trying to distract from his abject incompetence when it comes to testing.
“Public health experts have long warned that massively ramping up testing is what we need in order to control the spread of the virus and re-open our country. Trump will not make america safe or put the country back to work by mocking ‘testing, testing, testing’ or passing the buck to state governments.
“Even if Trump refuses to lead like a president should, he should at least meet his previous promises instead of trying to score cheap political points while thousands of Americans have lost their lives and millions have lost their jobs.”
BACKGROUND:
- 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]