Trump Mulls Nationwide Address, Insists Americans Must “Learn To Live With COVID”

NYT White House reporter Maggie Haberman, who has spent the last 4 days relentlessly chronicling every update in the White House COVID-19 outbreak saga, including Trump’s 72-hour stay at Walter Reed, has just reported that Trump is considering giving a nationwide address on Tuesday.

The president is considering giving some kind of nationwide televised address today, per two people familiar with the discussions. This plus confirming CNN report on a military aide (valet) testing positive this weekend and other details from last 24 hrs https://t.co/nTTY7DALzv

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 6, 2020

Haberman, who also reported that Trump still sounds “short of breath”, citing close aides who still speak with him regularly, linked to a report from the NYT which claimed that a “culture of panic” had replaced the “culture of negligence” at the White House. She described the comms shop as “bereft of people”, since the outbreak has taken out both McEnany and some of her top aides.

She added that while Trump stays in the residence, the West Wing has been virtually empty as most White House staffers are working from, either because they have caught the virus, or have been in close contact with somebody who has. She added that the White House “resembled a ghost town” again on Tuesday.

She also confirmed a CNN report claiming another White House aide had tested positive, raising the total infected to an even 30.

Meanwhile, President Trump returned to Twitter Tuesday morning to attack Biden and the Democrats for their support of late-term abortion…

Wow. Joe Biden just took a more Liberal position on Roe v. Wade than Elizabeth Warren at her highest. He also wants to PACK our great United States Supreme Court. This is what the Dems will do. Remember as they try changing positions before elections end. GET OUT AND VOTE!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020

Biden and Democrats just clarified the fact that they are fully in favor of (very) LATE TERM ABORTION, right up until the time of birth, and beyond – which would be execution. Biden even endorsed the Governor of Virginia, who stated this clearly for all to hear. GET OUT & VOTE!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020

…before reiterating his comments from last night in a tweet where he urged Americans not to be afraid of the virus and insisted “we have learned to live with it”.

Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020

According to one source on Twitter, the US hasn’t counted more than 100,000 flu deaths since 1968. Still, Trump’s point that such outbreaks aren’t “unprecedented” stands.