Navigating Coronavirus — October 8

In today’s email, we have the latest on Trump’s irresponsibility spreading the virus in our nation’s capital, as well as new polling on how the public feels about the future of the pandemic. Finally, we look at the ramifications of Trump walking away from further coronavirus relief on our already fragile economy.

Read on for today’s Navigating Coronavirus…

It’s been 224 days since President Trump said we’d soon have zero cases in the U.S. We now have 7.7 million cases and 216,000 deaths in the U.S., and Trump and 35 other contacts have been diagnosed after a super spreader event at the White House.

THE LATEST

TRUMP’S IRRESPONSIBILITY IS SPREADING THE VIRUS AND RECKLESSLY ENDANGERING PEOPLE.

Trump has handled his own illness the same way he’s led the country during the pandemic: downplaying the severity, overruling health experts, and blatantly violating public health guidelines. His irresponsible and reckless behavior has officially made him a coronavirus superspreader, as he continues to put White House staff and all Americans at risk.

• THE WHITE HOUSE’S PUBLIC HEALTH NEGLIGENCE >> During a period when Trump was likely contagious, he held several events, traveled to five states, and was in contact with hundreds of people while ignoring safety precautions and refusing to wear a mask. Now, the White House isn’t disclosing critical information, like when Trump last tested negative.
• The Week: “White House medical team reportedly links Trump’s infection to Barrett event”
• CNN: “Two White House officials concede Trump has not been tested daily for coronavirus”
• THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IS JEOPARDIZING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY >> One of the events that Trump attended while he was likely contagious became the source of infection for a top Coast Guard admiral — forcing several high ranking national security officials, including the Joint Chiefs, into quarantine.
• Washington Post: “White House event for families of deceased U.S. troops thrust into new light after admiral’s coronavirus diagnosis”
• ABC News: “All but one of military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff quarantine after admiral tests positive”
• Daily Beast: “On the same day President Trump acknowledged contracting the coronavirus, the White House quietly informed a veterans group that there was a COVID-19 risk stemming from a Sept. 27 event honoring the families of fallen U.S. service members, the head of that charitable organization told The Daily Beast.”
• IT’S NOT JUST THE REST OF US; TRUMP IS EVEN PUTTING HIS OWN STAFF AT RISK >> Coronavirus is spreading rampantly throughout the White House complex — at least 34 people connected to the White House have already tested positive. And now Trump is putting the hard-working White House staff and residence employees at risk.
• NPR: ‘It Is Reckless.’ Trump Placing White House Staff At Risk Of COVID-19, Author Says
• The Atlantic: “‘The People Trump Came Home To’: The president’s behavior threatens the very employees charged with taking care of him.”
• TRUMP IS WILDLY IGNORING HIS OWN CDC’S GUIDELINES >> Despite the growing outbreak among White House staff, Trump violated CDC quarantine guidelines by returning to work on Wednesday — putting even more staff at risk of contracting the virus. He spent the day in the Oval Office, shedding the virus throughout the tightly-packed quarters of the West Wing.
• Business Insider: “Trump, who is still infected with COVID-19 and likely contagious, has returned to the Oval Office”
• CNN: “The White House isn’t abiding by policies designed to control the pandemic, infectious disease expert says”

TRUMP IS CAUSING THE VIRUS TO SPREAD AROUND DC, AND HIS FAILED PANDEMIC RESPONSE IS CAUSING MORE OUTBREAKS ACROSS THE NATION.

Coronavirus cases in DC were actually trending down until the surge in White House cases this week. Not only is Trump directly responsible for the rise in cases in DC, he is also to blame for the national surges we’re seeing — as Dr. Facui warns that we could see 400,000 deaths if we don’t take precautions.

• USA Today: COVID-19 cases rising in 39 states — 9 months into the pandemic: ‘We are overwhelmed’
• CNN: “Hospitalizations rise for the first time since July”
• Reuters: “Six U.S. states report record COVID hospitalizations”

IN DC >>

• WASHINGTON, DC: “‘D.C. reports most new COVID cases since June amid White House outbreak’: A cluster of at least 20 cases has been tied to the White House, raising concerns that the virus may be spreading into the surrounding community.”

ACROSS THE COUNTRY >>

• IOWA: Iowa hospitals treating 444 Covid patients, an all-time high
• WISCONSIN: Wisconsin governor activates 530-bed field hospital as coronavirus spread strains capacity in state facilities.
• KENTUCKY: “The state has now seen 74,194 positive cases since the start of the pandemic, including record weekly totals three weeks in a row.”

NEW NAVIGATOR POLLING

TODAY’S POLLING DECK >> HERE

• As coronavirus outbreaks grow at the White House and across the country, Americans increasingly think the worst is yet to come — up 4 points in just the last two weeks.

• When it comes to the pandemic, people are still more concerned about their health than the economy overall — and are strongly in favor of continuing public health precautions, like social distancing. By 24 points, people are more concerned that social distancing will end too soon than go on too long.

ECONOMIC CRISIS IN CONTEXT

The latest on how the economic crisis sparked by coronavirus is being fueled by President Trump’s actions and years of conservative economic policies, focusing once again today on Trump walking away from the table and ending hopes of additional COVID-19 relief.

Trump’s decision to slam the door on additional strong COVID-19 support has cut the legs out of any potential recovery and flies in the face of advice from economists across the political spectrum.

• President Trump walking away from the table while Democrats wanted additional support for workers and families has crystalized this issue for anyone who hadn’t been paying close attention: President Trump is now fully and solely responsible for the public health and economic pain that will now continue for far longer than needed.
• By focusing on jamming through an extreme Supreme Court nominee who would take away health care during a pandemic, instead of working with Democrats to help the country and economy recover, Trump and his allies are shining a spotlight on their warped priorities.
• Reminder: Trump’s own nominee for Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, said just yesterday that cutting off government support now would hurt the economy and make this crisis worse.
• And even Goldman Sachs is making it clear that Trump’s economic policies are hurting the recovery and that the government should be investing more now, not cutting back.

Trump’s economy: Billionaires are getting richer while workers and families are struggling to put food on the table.

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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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