In response to the new report that President Donald Trump is pressuring his intelligence officials to manipulate the evidence in an attempt to distract from the Trump Administration’s botched response to the coronavirus pandemic, Protect Our Care’s Coronavirus War Room Director Zac Petkanas issued the following statement:
“There is no doubt that China mismanaged their handling of the coronavirus and tried to cover it up. However, Trump’s attempt to manipulate the evidence gathered by U.S. intelligence officials to avoid any responsibility at all would be laughable if it wasn’t such a dangerous abuse of power.
“The truth is that Trump mishandled the Chinese government from the beginning, endangering Americans’ lives and making things worse. Instead of holding Chinese Leader Xi Jinping’s feet to the fire as the virus emerged, Trump repeatedly praised China’s response to the virus and tap danced around Xi’s feelings so as to not upset the pending trade agreement. That’s why his administration bragged about sending 18 tons of personal protective equipment like masks to China despite urgent shortages at US hospitals. It’s why Trump’s so-called travel ban was so leaky that it allowed 40,000 people to enter the United States after its enactment, many of whom didn’t go through proper screenings.
“To be sure, China must answer some very hard questions about how it responded to the global pandemic but Donald Trump need only look in the mirror to find the culprit responsible for the US leading the world in reported deaths and infections.”