It sounds as if the Trump administration has given up on trying to control the coronavirus.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, in what is being seen as a disastrous interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, said: “We are not going to control the pandemic just at the time when the cornavirus is setting records as it surges across the United States.
Here’s what he said:
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that the US is “not going to control” the coronavirus pandemic, as cases surge across the country and nearly 225,000 Americans have died from the virus.
“We are not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas,” Meadows told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
The comments from President Donald Trump’s chief of staff come as coronavirus cases surge across the US and the administration continues to consistently disregard advice from government health experts to wear masks, social distance and avoid large gatherings as a way to curb the spread of the virus. The White House is also facing a potential second outbreak of the virus after at least five people in Pence’s inner circle have tested positive in recent days, according to a source familiar with the situation.
This coupled with the reportedly not good 60 Minutes interview with Donald Trump suggest this may not be a week when Trump’s polls will start to soar.
Dear Mark Meadows……When your boss calls the CNN control room and demands they end an interview with you, things have not gone well??
— Les LeMieux, Sr (@leslsenior) October 25, 2020
Biden statement: "They've given up on their basic duty to protect the American people. This wasn't a slip by Meadows, it was a candid acknowledgement of what President Trump's strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this crisis: to wave the white flag of defeat."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 25, 2020
Trump has finally adopted #VirusSurrenderMonkeys as a campaign slogan. Shame if it trended to #1
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) October 25, 2020
Serious question: Is the White House admitting defeat? https://t.co/hh9Jr3GDsA
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 25, 2020
Biden statement: "They've given up on their basic duty to protect the American people. This wasn't a slip by Meadows, it was a candid acknowledgement of what President Trump's strategy has clearly been from the beginning of this crisis: to wave the white flag of defeat."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 25, 2020
“We’re not going to control the virus.” ~Mark Meadows
By the end of this pandemic, it will be obvious to doctors, epidemiologists, and historians that Trump’s refusal to lead on the pandemic cost more American lives than Vietnam or World War I.
The recklessness continues. https://t.co/GYHb6YlSQC
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) October 25, 2020
BREAKING: Kamala Harris says Trump Chief Mark Meadows was “admitting defeat.” They “have forfeited their right to a second term in office.” Absolutely. #SundaySenateBlueWave
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) October 25, 2020
This is the White House, in charge of keeping us safe.
Their strategy? Surrender. pic.twitter.com/IO5FJcYpaN
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) October 25, 2020
As I watch this clip I see a historic surrender by the Republican party on a matter of national security and economic survival, and a slip of the mask for the GOP as a minority party, admitting in public speech that it is unwilling to protect the nation as a whole— and moving on. https://t.co/7vSDmnCF3Q
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) October 25, 2020
Who's replacing Meadows, this week?
Meadows says 'we're not going to control the pandemic' in heated interviewhttps://t.co/6mY3xQNuzc— Brown Eyed Susan (@smc429) October 25, 2020
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.