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| Criticized on Virus, Trump Goes to His Playbook: Deflect, Reject and Minimize | Criticized on Virus, Trump Goes to His Playbook: Deflect, Reject and Minimize |
| (30 days later) | |
| Faced with intense criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, stubbornly high rates of new infections across much of the country and questions about whether he is pushing too soon to get the economy going again, President Trump has settled into a messaging routine: deflect, reject and minimize. | Faced with intense criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, stubbornly high rates of new infections across much of the country and questions about whether he is pushing too soon to get the economy going again, President Trump has settled into a messaging routine: deflect, reject and minimize. |
| Confronted with projections showing that the number of cases and deaths will continue to rise, Mr. Trump has mischaracterized how the models work. | Confronted with projections showing that the number of cases and deaths will continue to rise, Mr. Trump has mischaracterized how the models work. |
| With states and many public health experts saying testing remains inadequate, he has countered with false and misleading comparisons to other countries. | With states and many public health experts saying testing remains inadequate, he has countered with false and misleading comparisons to other countries. |
| And when asked to reconcile the gap between his earlier sunny predictions of few deaths and the current situation, he has used false assertions to blame others and continued to rewrite the history of his own response. | And when asked to reconcile the gap between his earlier sunny predictions of few deaths and the current situation, he has used false assertions to blame others and continued to rewrite the history of his own response. |
| Here’s an assessment of some of the president’s recent claims. | Here’s an assessment of some of the president’s recent claims. |
| What Mr. Trump Said | What Mr. Trump Said |
| “We are helping other countries which are desperate for them. Likewise, after having been left little, we are now doing more testing than all other countries combined, and with superior tests.”— on Twitter on Wednesday | “We are helping other countries which are desperate for them. Likewise, after having been left little, we are now doing more testing than all other countries combined, and with superior tests.”— on Twitter on Wednesday |
| False. Mr. Trump has embellished a previously misleading talking point to a wholly untrue one. | False. Mr. Trump has embellished a previously misleading talking point to a wholly untrue one. |
| He has regularly heralded the total number of tests conducted in the United States as the highest of any single country in the world. That is technically accurate, though on a per capita basis the United States still lags others. | He has regularly heralded the total number of tests conducted in the United States as the highest of any single country in the world. That is technically accurate, though on a per capita basis the United States still lags others. |
| But testing in the United States does not eclipse the rest of the world combined. | But testing in the United States does not eclipse the rest of the world combined. |
| The United States had conducted more than 7.7 million tests by Wednesday, according to the Covid Tracking Project. In comparison, only three countries combined — Russia, Germany and Italy — had conducted more than 9.7 million tests, according to Our World in Data and Worldometers. | The United States had conducted more than 7.7 million tests by Wednesday, according to the Covid Tracking Project. In comparison, only three countries combined — Russia, Germany and Italy — had conducted more than 9.7 million tests, according to Our World in Data and Worldometers. |
| Combined, the 82 countries monitored by Our World in Data had conducted at least 28.1 million tests while the 183 countries measured by Worldometers performed about 33.7 million tests. | Combined, the 82 countries monitored by Our World in Data had conducted at least 28.1 million tests while the 183 countries measured by Worldometers performed about 33.7 million tests. |
| What Mr. Trump Said | What Mr. Trump Said |
| “Don’t forget, the cupboard was bare. The other administration, the last administration, left us nothing. We didn’t have ventilators. We didn’t have medical equipment. We didn’t have testing. The tests were broken. You saw that. We had broken tests.”— in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday | “Don’t forget, the cupboard was bare. The other administration, the last administration, left us nothing. We didn’t have ventilators. We didn’t have medical equipment. We didn’t have testing. The tests were broken. You saw that. We had broken tests.”— in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday |
| False. The Strategic National Stockpile, the federal government’s repository of medicines and medicinal products, contained more than $7 billion worth of supplies when Mr. Trump took office. | False. The Strategic National Stockpile, the federal government’s repository of medicines and medicinal products, contained more than $7 billion worth of supplies when Mr. Trump took office. |
| An archived page of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website from December 2016 estimated that the stockpile was valued at more than $7 billion and included ventilators as well as antibiotics, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, vaccines, antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies. After Mr. Trump took office, the estimate remained over $7 billion, according to a June 2017 government brief. | An archived page of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website from December 2016 estimated that the stockpile was valued at more than $7 billion and included ventilators as well as antibiotics, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, vaccines, antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies. After Mr. Trump took office, the estimate remained over $7 billion, according to a June 2017 government brief. |
| While the C.D.C. does not disclose specific details about the contents or locations of the stockpile, it has offered some glimpses into the secret warehouses where supplies are stashed. A reporter for NPR toured one location in June 2016 and described how “shelves packed with stuff stand so tall that looking up makes me dizzy” and “rows upon rows of ventilators that could keep sick or injured people breathing.” | While the C.D.C. does not disclose specific details about the contents or locations of the stockpile, it has offered some glimpses into the secret warehouses where supplies are stashed. A reporter for NPR toured one location in June 2016 and described how “shelves packed with stuff stand so tall that looking up makes me dizzy” and “rows upon rows of ventilators that could keep sick or injured people breathing.” |
| The president’s complaint about inheriting “broken tests” is nonsensical, as the novel coronavirus was discovered in late 2019, more than two years after his predecessor left office. The Trump administration botched development of its own tests, leaving the United States initially blind to the virus’s spread and behind other nations. | The president’s complaint about inheriting “broken tests” is nonsensical, as the novel coronavirus was discovered in late 2019, more than two years after his predecessor left office. The Trump administration botched development of its own tests, leaving the United States initially blind to the virus’s spread and behind other nations. |
| It is reasonable to argue that previous administrations failed to leave Mr. Trump with a stockpile large enough to handle the scale of the current pandemic — The Times has reported, for example, on a stalled government effort to procure more ventilators under previous administrations. But the president is clearly wrong that the stockpile contained “nothing” at all. | It is reasonable to argue that previous administrations failed to leave Mr. Trump with a stockpile large enough to handle the scale of the current pandemic — The Times has reported, for example, on a stalled government effort to procure more ventilators under previous administrations. But the president is clearly wrong that the stockpile contained “nothing” at all. |
| What Mr. Trump Said | What Mr. Trump Said |
| “Those models that you’re mentioning are talking about without mitigation.”— in the ABC interview | “Those models that you’re mentioning are talking about without mitigation.”— in the ABC interview |
| False. Mr. Trump was referring to two projections publicized this week that predicted rising death tolls. Both factored in mitigation strategies. | False. Mr. Trump was referring to two projections publicized this week that predicted rising death tolls. Both factored in mitigation strategies. |
| One, produced by Johns Hopkins University for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and obtained by The Times, estimated about 200,000 new cases each day by June, up from 25,000 cases a day currently. | One, produced by Johns Hopkins University for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and obtained by The Times, estimated about 200,000 new cases each day by June, up from 25,000 cases a day currently. |
| The university stressed in a statement that the analyses were “preliminary” and not finished, and included situations in which social-distancing measures are prematurely relaxed. Some assume the policies are either highly or moderately effective and become “half as effective going forward as current measures expire,” the epidemiologist who produced the estimates said in an interview with NPR. | The university stressed in a statement that the analyses were “preliminary” and not finished, and included situations in which social-distancing measures are prematurely relaxed. Some assume the policies are either highly or moderately effective and become “half as effective going forward as current measures expire,” the epidemiologist who produced the estimates said in an interview with NPR. |
| The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington also updated its forecast to estimate nearly 135,000 deaths by August. This model also accounts for social-distancing policies. | The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington also updated its forecast to estimate nearly 135,000 deaths by August. This model also accounts for social-distancing policies. |
| “Our model now assumes that mandates that are currently still in place and have not been scheduled to be relaxed will stay in place through at least August 4,” the institute wrote. “For locations where distancing policies have been eased or clear plans have been instituted for their easement, we used those dates for the predictions.” | “Our model now assumes that mandates that are currently still in place and have not been scheduled to be relaxed will stay in place through at least August 4,” the institute wrote. “For locations where distancing policies have been eased or clear plans have been instituted for their easement, we used those dates for the predictions.” |
| What Mr. Trump Said | What Mr. Trump Said |
| Bret Baier, Fox News host: “You did talk a lot about hydroxychloroquine for a while.”Mr. Trump: “I do. And I still do.”Mr. Baier: “And there were some studies that came out that questioned the cardiac tie, but you stopped talking about it.”Mr. Trump: “One study. One study. But there was studies that came out that say it’s very good, too.”— in a town-hall-style event on Fox News on Sunday | Bret Baier, Fox News host: “You did talk a lot about hydroxychloroquine for a while.”Mr. Trump: “I do. And I still do.”Mr. Baier: “And there were some studies that came out that questioned the cardiac tie, but you stopped talking about it.”Mr. Trump: “One study. One study. But there was studies that came out that say it’s very good, too.”— in a town-hall-style event on Fox News on Sunday |
| This is misleading. Hundreds of studies are in the works on the efficacy of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, two malaria drugs Mr. Trump has promoted for treatment of the coronavirus, but the current body of research is limited and insufficient. Many of the studies that have shown the drugs might be effective come with heavy caveats, and the Food and Drug Administration has warned that the drugs “can cause abnormal heart rhythms.” | This is misleading. Hundreds of studies are in the works on the efficacy of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, two malaria drugs Mr. Trump has promoted for treatment of the coronavirus, but the current body of research is limited and insufficient. Many of the studies that have shown the drugs might be effective come with heavy caveats, and the Food and Drug Administration has warned that the drugs “can cause abnormal heart rhythms.” |
| A review published last week of seven completed clinical trials — five in China and two in France — found that five showed favorable outcomes for patients using chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, while two showed no change. But the review noted that all seven trials “carried varying degrees of bias and poor study design.” (For example, sample sizes were too small to be reliable or the randomization of subjects was inadequate.) It concluded that the data was insufficient to support using the two antivirals as treatments. | A review published last week of seven completed clinical trials — five in China and two in France — found that five showed favorable outcomes for patients using chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, while two showed no change. But the review noted that all seven trials “carried varying degrees of bias and poor study design.” (For example, sample sizes were too small to be reliable or the randomization of subjects was inadequate.) It concluded that the data was insufficient to support using the two antivirals as treatments. |
| Updated June 5, 2020 | |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | |
| The review did not include two prominent studies, one conducted in Brazil and one performed on Veterans Affairs patients because the first was not completed and the other was not a clinical trial. The Brazilian study was halted because patients developed irregular heart rates. | The review did not include two prominent studies, one conducted in Brazil and one performed on Veterans Affairs patients because the first was not completed and the other was not a clinical trial. The Brazilian study was halted because patients developed irregular heart rates. |
| What Mr. Trump Said | What Mr. Trump Said |
| “I closed our country to China. Nancy Pelosi was, a month later, saying, ‘It’s going to pass.’ Everybody — even Tony Fauci was saying, ‘It’s going to pass, not going to be a big deal.’”— in the Fox News event | “I closed our country to China. Nancy Pelosi was, a month later, saying, ‘It’s going to pass.’ Everybody — even Tony Fauci was saying, ‘It’s going to pass, not going to be a big deal.’”— in the Fox News event |
| False. At the end of January, Mr. Trump barred most foreign citizens from entering the United States if they had recently visited China. A month later, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was repeatedly saying that the scale of the outbreak would depend on mitigation while Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments on the coronavirus were largely limited to criticizing Mr. Trump’s response, rather than predictions about its spread. | False. At the end of January, Mr. Trump barred most foreign citizens from entering the United States if they had recently visited China. A month later, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was repeatedly saying that the scale of the outbreak would depend on mitigation while Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments on the coronavirus were largely limited to criticizing Mr. Trump’s response, rather than predictions about its spread. |
| In an interview on CBS in mid-February, Dr. Fauci defined a pandemic as transmission from person to person in multiple countries around the world and said “it certainly is on the verge of that happening reasonably soon, unless containment is more successful than it is right now.” | In an interview on CBS in mid-February, Dr. Fauci defined a pandemic as transmission from person to person in multiple countries around the world and said “it certainly is on the verge of that happening reasonably soon, unless containment is more successful than it is right now.” |
| Two weeks later, Dr. Fauci appeared on the “Today” show, where he was asked whether Americans needed to change their habits. | Two weeks later, Dr. Fauci appeared on the “Today” show, where he was asked whether Americans needed to change their habits. |
| “No. Right now, at this moment, there’s no need to change anything that you’re doing on a day-by-day basis. Right now the risk is still low, but this could change,” he responded. “This could be a major outbreak. I hope not. Or it could be something that’s reasonably well controlled.” | “No. Right now, at this moment, there’s no need to change anything that you’re doing on a day-by-day basis. Right now the risk is still low, but this could change,” he responded. “This could be a major outbreak. I hope not. Or it could be something that’s reasonably well controlled.” |
| Later that day, Dr. Fauci said at a White House briefing that the risk of contracting the virus was “low” across the country, but he added, “When we say that, we want to underscore that this is an evolving situation.” | Later that day, Dr. Fauci said at a White House briefing that the risk of contracting the virus was “low” across the country, but he added, “When we say that, we want to underscore that this is an evolving situation.” |
| Ms. Pelosi addressed the outbreak at a news conference in late February and called the Trump administration’s response “opaque and often chaotic.” She also spoke about an earlier visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown and said, “We want to be fully prepared but not panicking or fearful of what’s happening.” She did not comment on the trajectory of the disease. | Ms. Pelosi addressed the outbreak at a news conference in late February and called the Trump administration’s response “opaque and often chaotic.” She also spoke about an earlier visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown and said, “We want to be fully prepared but not panicking or fearful of what’s happening.” She did not comment on the trajectory of the disease. |
| Mr. Trump may have been mixing up their comments with his own. In February, he said the virus could “disappear,” though he added that “nobody really knows,” and that cases were “going down, not up.” | Mr. Trump may have been mixing up their comments with his own. In February, he said the virus could “disappear,” though he added that “nobody really knows,” and that cases were “going down, not up.” |
| Curious about the accuracy of a claim? Email factcheck@nytimes.com. | Curious about the accuracy of a claim? Email factcheck@nytimes.com. |