Navigating Coronavirus — June 20

In today’s email, we look at how virtually everyone with credibility, including members of Trump’s own task force and CDC, is warning about the danger of Trump’s rally later today in Tulsa. Navigator data reveals what a gamble the rally is, as majorities express deep concerns with his refusal to listen to experts.

Read on for today’s Navigating Coronavirus…

It’s been 112 days since President Trump said we’d soon have zero cases in the U.S. We now have 2.2 million cases and more than 121,000 deaths.

TOP TREND

• Trump is viewed much, much more negatively than Obama and Bush. Despite Trump’s attacks on both former presidents, their net favorability is more than 40 points better than his (Obama +27, Bush +25, Trump -19).

THE LATEST

Message guidance on the latest developments with President Trump’s handling of the crisis.

1. TRUMP’S DANGEROUS RALLY GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING EXPERTS RECOMMEND TO KEEP AMERICANS SAFE.

Later today, when Trump takes the stage in Tulsa, he will be declaring once and for all that science and experts don’t matter. He won’t wear a mask, and neither will his staff, rejecting CDC guidelines and defying his own medical experts and those in Oklahoma who will be left to deal with a huge influx of cases — all for his own vanity.

• WebMD: “No Distancing or Masks Required at Trump Rally”
• NBC News: “Top members of coronavirus task force advised against Trump’s Tulsa rally”
• “Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx were among those warning about health risks for those attending such indoor rallies as virus’ spread continues.”
• USA Today: “Health experts fear Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa could turn into a coronavirus ‘super spreader’ event”
• Oklahoma ER Doctor: “it’s a ‘terrible idea’ to hold the planned Trump rally in Tulsa because coronavirus cases ‘are up over 100% over the past week.’”

Coronavirus cases across the country are exploding and the sick are getting younger as Trump has pushed the nation to reopen before it’s safe.

• The Week: “Coronavirus cases are climbing in 20 states, with 10 states reporting single-day records in the past week”
• Bloomberg: “Stunning: More than 20% of Arizona’s COVID tests reported today came back positive.”
• NBC: “the average age of coronavirus patients in Florida has dropped significantly from the 60s months ago to 37 just last week.”

2. TRUMP IS LETTING HIS FRIENDS SCAM THE COUNTRY AS HE LIES ABOUT THE CRISIS.

It will be hard to ever know how much Trump has used the pandemic to pad the pockets of the rich because he’s essentially eliminated all coronavirus oversight.

• ProPublica: “The Trump Administration Paid Millions for Test Tubes — and Got Unusable Mini Soda Bottles”
• Mother Jones: “How a Trump-Connected Lobbyist Is Cashing In on the Coronavirus”
• WSJ: “Vice President Mike Pence has overstated the amount of coronavirus-related medical equipment distributed by a Trump administration program on multiple occasions, according to public data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”

*NEW* NAVIGATOR TRACKING NUMBERS . . .

TODAY’S POLLING DECK >> HERE

TODAY’S TOPLINES >> HERE

• As he refuses to listen to experts’ warnings on holding his Oklahoma rally, a majority of Americans have very serious concerns about his behavior on that front. Overall, 67% of Americans have serious concerns, but more than half the country (55%) actually express having VERY serious concerns about how he ignores the advice of experts. This includes 51% of people who are “mixed on Trump” (sometimes approve, sometimes disapprove).

• When they hear about Republican leaders refusing to support Trump, Americans believe it’s a sign he has failed as a leader — not that he’s shaken up the status quo.

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Navigating Coronavirus is a joint project of Governing for Impact, Groundwork Collaborative, The Hub Project, and Navigator Research.

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