Democrats and the media are so desperate to undermine the Trump Administration's response to the coronavirus that they will ignore the facts to spin fiction to the American public

DEMOCRATS AND SOME IN THE MEDIA ARE SO DESPERATE TO ATTACK PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT THEY HAVE PUSHED DEBUNKED QUOTES AND DOCTORED VIDEO CLIPS CONCERNING THE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

Fiction:

Democrats are claiming President Trump referred to the Coronavirus as a "hoax", including leading Democrat Presidential Candidate Joe Biden who released a doctored video misrepresenting the President's statements on the virus.

The Facts:

Biden's video chops out nearly a minute between two soundbites.

According to a Washington Post fact check "the full quote shows Trump is criticizing Democratic talking points and the media's coverage of his administration's response to Coronavirus . He never says that the virus itself is a hoax ."

President Trump was correct to be critical of Democrat smears as multiple fact checks criticized their misleading claims about the administration's response to coronavirus.

Fiction :

Some media members were quick to accuse President Trump of xenophobia and bigotry because he and his administration referred to the coronavirus as "foreign" "Chinese" or "the Wuhan Coronavirus."

The Facts:

Scores of media members have used those terms to refer to the origin of the virus.

CNN's national security correspondent, Kylie Atwood, reported that the rhetoric was part of a conscious effort to push back on Chinese propaganda that falsely blamed the U.S. military for spreading the virus.

THE PRESIDENT'S CRITICS HAVE ACCUSED PRESIDENT TRUMP OF LYING ABOUT PRIVATE SECTOR COORDINATION

Fiction:

When President Trump announced a partnership with Google to streamline testing for the coronavirus, news outlets dismissed his comments as false .

The Facts:

Google's CEO called President Trump to apologize for "confusion created by the media" and the company put out a press release substantiating the announcement regarding a national website.

DEMOCRAT CRITICS HAVE PUSHED FALSEHOODS IN ORDER TO PAINT THE ADMINISTRATIONS RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS THREAT IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT

Fiction:

Democrats and their media allies' central talking point has been to falsely accuse President Trump of having a "slow" response to the coronavirus.

The Facts:

The Trump Administration was ahead of the curve implementing a Coronavirus Incident Management System two days before Chinese officials confirmed the outbreak .

Fiction:

In another falsehood designed to paint President Trump as dismissive of the coronavirus threat, Joe Biden said that Trump turned down testing kits from the World Health Organization.

The Facts:

The World Health Organization " never offered to sell test kits to the United States " and all other developed countries with advanced research capabilities developed their own tests.

Fiction:

The New York Times reported that President Trump discouraged governors by telling them to try to get 'respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment' yourselves."

The Facts:

President Trump authorized governors to buy medical equipment directly in addition to those they would be getting from the federal government if they felt it would be faster.

President Trump has worked to support state and local officials and even governors of deep blue states like New York and California have praised his efforts.

IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE DEMOCRATS HAVE ALSO MISREPRESENTED THE ADMINISTRATIONS' PREPAREDNESS FOR THE CRISIS

Fiction:

Democrats claim that President Trump cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control.

The Facts:

According to PolitiFact , "it's not accurate to say that Trump 'cut' funding for the Centers for Disease Control."

Fiction:

Democrats are accusing President Trump of firing the NSC team in charge of pandemic response.

The Facts:

In May 2018, Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer, Senior Director of Global Health And Security, the NSC team responsible for pandemic response, was not fired but left the administration and the team he headed was reorganized.

Tim Morrison , Former Senior Director for Counterproliferation and Biodefense on the NSC, wrote an Op-Ed refuting "specious" allegations that President Trump dissolved the office at the White House in charge of pandemic preparedness during his tenure.

Fiction:

Some have claimed President Trump shut down the Global Health Security Agenda.

The Facts:

The Funding has nothing to do with the Trump Administration . The Global Health Security Agenda was largely funded by a $600 million a supplemental package passed in 2015 after the Ebola crisis and the money was running out.

In fact, these programs were never even defunded and, by March 2018,Congress had nearly doubled its funding for the Global Health Security Agenda.

DESPERATE TO POLITICIZE THE CORONAVIRUS, DEMOCRATS AND THEIR MEDIA ALLIES HAVE PUSHED FALSE QUOTES AND DOCTORED VIDEO CLIPS TO ATTACK PRESIDENT TRUMP

In Early March, Joe Biden Posted A Doctored Video That Was Edited To Show President Trump Said The Coronavirus Was A "Hoax;" This Video Was Immediately Shot Down By Fact Checkers As False Despite Mainstream Media Running It

At A Rally In South Carolina On March 2, President Trump Accused Democrats Of Politicizing The Coronavirus Outbreak Arguing The False Narrative That His Administration Had Fumbled Response Efforts Was Another In A Long Of Hoaxes Pushed By Democrats To Smear The Trump Administration. "The kerfuffle began at the rally in North Charleston, South Carolina when Trump accused the Democrats of 'politicizing' the coronavirus outbreak. 'Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus, you know that, right?' he said. 'Coronavirus, they're politicizing it. We did one of the great jobs. You say, 'How's President Trump doing?' They go, 'Oh, not good, not good.' They have no clue. They don't have any clue. They can't even count their votes in Iowa.' Then the president, who often dismissed special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation as a hoax, continued, 'They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything. They tried it over and over. They'd been doing it since you got in. It's all turning. They lost. It's all turning. Think of it. Think of it. And this is their new hoax.' Trump went on to praise his administration for taking 'the most aggressive action in modern history to prevent the spread of this illness in the United States,' referring to travel restrictions on foreign nationals who recently visited China." ( FactCheck.org , 3/3/20)

A Day Later, Joe Biden Tweeted A Video That Makes It Seem Like President Trump Was Calling The Disease Itself A Hoax By Editing Out Nearly A Minute Between The Two Clips, Eliminating The Context That Makes It Clear President Trump Was Not Talking About The Virus Itself. "In a video tweeted March 3, Joe Biden's campaign made it look like President Donald Trump called the 2019 coronavirus outbreak a 'hoax' … The video cycles through a slew of soundbites from Trump. One clip shows the president's Feb. 28 rally in North Charleston, S.C. 'Coronavirus - this is their new hoax,' Trump is pictured saying. The video makes it seem like Trump is calling the disease itself a hoax, which he hasn't done. The words are Trump's, but the editing is Biden's. During the North Charleston rally, there was nearly a minute between when Trump said 'coronavirus' and 'hoax.'" ( PolitiFact , 3/15/20)

PolitiFact Rated Biden's Video "False." "Biden's video is inaccurate. We rate it False." ( PolitiFact , 3/15/20)

The Washington Post : "The Full Quote Shows Trump Is Criticizing Democratic Talking Points And The Media's Coverage Of His Administration's Response To Coronavirus. He Never Says That The Virus Itself Is A Hoax." "The full quote shows Trump is criticizing Democratic talking points and the media's coverage of his administration's response to coronavirus. He never says that the virus itself is a hoax, and although the Biden camp included the word 'their,' the edit does not make clear to whom or what Trump is referring." ( The Washington Post , 3/13/20)

Three Days After The Washington Post Debunked The Claim, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Said On His Show That "Just Over Two Weeks Ago, Donald Trump Called The Coronavirus A Hoax." LAWRENCE O`DONNELL: "Just over two weeks ago, Donald Trump called the Coronavirus a hoax. That was his word, 'hoax.' The President of the United States accused the news media of overreacting to the Coronavirus. Today, standing on the White House Press Briefing Room Stage with the President of the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci said this." (MSNBC's "The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell," 3/16/20)

Just A Day After The Washington Post Fact Check, CNN White House Correspondent Boris Sanchez Said "Trump Called The Response About The Gravity Of The Virus A Hoax." BORIS SANCHEZ: "President Trump has been giving regular updates to the public about coronavirus, but -- and this is a major but -- the information that he gives isn't always accurate. He often downplays the threat and he contradicts statements he or his own advisers have previously made. Case in point. Two weeks ago, Trump called the response about the gravity of the virus a hoax. It's not." (CNN's "Newsroom," 3/14/20)

Trump Was Right In His Assessment Of The Democrats' Narrative And Multiple Fact-Checkers Have Criticized Democrats' Misleading Claims About The Trump Administration's Response To Coronavirus

The Associated Press Headline: "Democrats Distort Coronavirus Readiness." "AP FACT CHECK: Democrats Distort Coronavirus Readiness." ( The Associated Press , 2/26/20)

FactCheck.Org Headline: "Democrats' Misleading Coronavirus Claims." "Democrats' Misleading Coronavirus Claims." ( FactCheck.org , 3/3/20)

THE MEDIA WERE SO QUICK TO JUMP AT THE CHANCE TO CALL PRESIDENT TRUMP RACIST FOR REFERRING TO THE VIRUS AS "FOREIGN," "CHINESE," OR THE "WUHAN VIRUS" THAT THEY FORGOT THEY HAD BEEN USING THE TERM AS WELL

Media Members Were Quick To Accuse President Trump Of Xenophobia And Bigotry Because He And His Administration Referred To The Coronavirus As "Foreign" "Chinese" Or "The Wuhan Coronavirus"

Salon Cited President Trump's Rhetoric Around The Virus, Calling It "Foreign" Or "Chinese" As Proof Of His Xenophobia And Bigotry. "Donald Trump and his agents are using xenophobia, nativism, bigotry, and racism to distract the American people from his administration's failure to respond to the coronavirus crisis. For example, the Trump regime has called the novel coronavirus 'the Chinese virus' and the 'foreign flu.'" ( Salon , 3/18/20)

Following His March 11th Press Conference On The Coronavirus, CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta And Primetime Host Chris Cuomo Slammed President Trump Saying That Referring To The Virus As A "Foreign Virus," Or "Wuhan Coronavirus" Was Xenophobic And An Excuse To "Put Blame Somewhere Else." CNN'S JIM ACOSTA: "The other thing, Chris, and I think we should point out, at one point, during this address, the President referred to the Coronavirus as a 'Foreign virus.' That - that, I think, was interesting because as I was talking to sources, earlier this evening, one of the points that the President wanted to make tonight, wanted to get across to Americans, is that this virus did not start here, but that they're dealing with it. Now, why the President would go as far as to describe it as a 'Foreign virus,' that is something we'll also be asking questions about. "But it - it should be pointed out that Stephen Miller who is an immigration hardliner, who advises the President, is of one of his top domestic policy advisers, and speechwriters had-" CNN'S CHRIS CUOMO: "Right." ACOSTA: "--was a driving force in writing this speech." CUOMO: "Right." ACOSTA: "And I think it's going to smack - it's going to come across to a lot of Americans as smacking of xenophobia-" CUOMO: "Right." ACOSTA: "--to use that kind of term in this speech, Chris." CUOMO: "Well, look, sometimes we can answer the questions. And the answer is he's doing it to put blame somewhere else. We've seen over the last few days, McCarthy, and others, saying the 'Chinese Coronavirus,' the 'Wuhan Coronavirus.' We get that." (CNN's "Cuomo Primetime," 3/11/20)

Scores Of Media Members Used Those Terms And CNN's National Security Correspondent Reported That The Rhetoric Was Part Of An Effort To Push Back On Chinese Propaganda That Blamed The U.S. Military For Spreading The Virus

In Late January, Acosta Referred To The Virus As "Wuhan Coronavirus" In A Tweet. "CNN International: Authorities in Beijing have cancelled all large-scale Chinese New Year celebrations in an effort to contain the growing spread of Wuhan Coronavirus." ( Twitter Feed , 1/23/20)

"Several" CNN Anchors And "Numerous Journalists From MSNBC, CNBC, PBS News, And CBS News" Referred To The Virus As "Wuhan Coronavirus" And "China's Coronavirus." "However, weeks leading up to the coronavirus outbreak, as the Media Research Center demonstrated in a video on Thursday, several CNN anchors and reporters referred to it as the 'Wuhan coronavirus' and 'China's coronavirus' … Numerous journalists from MSNBC, CNBC, PBS News, and CBS News were also heard using similar terminology." ( Fox News , 3/13/20)

CNN Repeatedly Called The Virus The "Wuhan Coronavirus" In Tweets And Articles. ( CNN , 2/4/20) ( CNN , 2/9/20) ( CNN , 1/23/20) ( Twitter Feed , 2/10/20) ( Twitter Feed , 2/12/20) ( Twitter Feed 2/10/20)

Just Two Days Later, CNN's National Security Correspondent Kylie Atwood Reported That The Trump Administration Has Been Using The Rhetoric To Push Back On A Disinformation Campaign Launched By The Chinese Government That Claimed "The U.S. Military Could Be To Blame For The Wuhan Virus Which Originated As We Know In Wuhan China." KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: "Yes, and a new development in these tensions just today. The Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. was summoned here to the State Department by a top state official for the region, Assistant Secretary Stilwell. I have been told by folks in this building that they're furious with the Chinese government that's because just as you said John, they are now claiming that potentially the U.S. military could be to blame for the Wuhan virus which originated as we know in Wuhan China. We have seen the U.S. pushed back on that disinformation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even called it the Wuhan virus just last week to make sure that folks knew where the epicenter of this virus really is. We also heard President Trump earlier this week call it a foreign virus. They want to make the case that this originated in China and that's the reason that they summon the Chinese Ambassador here to the State Department today." (CNN's "Inside Politics," 3/13/20)

THE PRESIDENT'S CRITICS HAVE ACCUSED PRESIDENT TRUMP OF LYING ABOUT PRIVATE SECTOR COORDINATION

When News Outlets Reported It Was Not True That Google Was Developing A Website To Streamline Coronavirus Testing, The Company's CEO Was Forced To Confirm That President Trump's Announcement Was True And They Would Be Developing A Website

On March 13, President Trump Said That Google Was Rolling Out A Coronavirus Website "To Determine Whether A Test Is Warranted And To Facilitate Testing At A Nearby Convenient Location." PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: "I want to thank Google. Google is helping to develop a website. It's going to be very quickly done, unlike websites of the past, to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location. We have many, many locations behind us, by the way. We cover the - this country in large part. So the world, by the way - we're not going to be talking about the world right now. But we cover very, very strongly our country. Stores in virtually every location." ( White House , 3/13/20)

That Same Day, CNN Reported That 'Google Will Not Be Publishing A National-Scale Website For Coronavirus Testing Anytime Soon, Contrary To Claims Made By President Donald Trump." "Google will not be publishing a national-scale website for coronavirus testing anytime soon, contrary to claims made by President Donald Trump during a Friday news conference. Instead, a health-focused subsidiary owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet, intends to launch a small-scale website next week to begin to triage California-based patients. The website will aim to serve a broader population only 'over time' -- not 'very quickly,' as Trump said." ( CNN , 3/13/20)

Google CEO Sundar Pichai Called President Trump To Apologize For "Confusion Created By The Media" And The Company Put Out A Press Release Substantiating What President Trump Had Said Regarding National Website. "Trump said CEO Sundar Pichai called him to apologize after confusion created by the media while holding a piece of paper showing Google's statement on Twitter. 'I want to thank the people at Google and Google communications because as you know, they substantiated what I said on Friday,' Trump said Sunday. 'The head of Google, who's a great gentleman, called us and he apologized. I don't know where the press got their fake news, but they got it someplace. But as you know, this is from Google. They put out a release and you guys can figure it out yourselves. And how that got out, and I'm sure you'll apologize. But it would be great if we could really give the news correctly. It would be so, so wonderful.'" ( Real Clear Politics, 3/16/20)

CNN Was Forced To Update Their Story To Say "Google Now Says It Is Working With The Government On The Creation Of A National Website Containing Information About Coronavirus Symptoms And Testing Information." "Google now says it is working with the government on the creation of a national website containing information about coronavirus symptoms and testing information. 'Google is partnering with the US Government in developing a national website that includes information about COVID-19 symptoms, risk and testing information,' the company said in a series of tweets Saturday evening." ( CNN , 3/14/20)

DEMOCRAT CRITICS HAVE PUSHED FALSEHOODS IN ORDER TO PAINT THE ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS THREAT IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT

Democrats And Their Media Allies' Central Talking Point Has Been To Falsely Accuse President Trump Of Having A "Slow" Response To The Coronavirus

Vox: "Even After It Became Clear That The Coronavirus Outbreak Was Becoming A Global Threat In January, The Trump Administration Has Been Slow To Prepare And React." "Even after it became clear that the coronavirus outbreak was becoming a global threat in January, the Trump administration has been slow to prepare and react. The common refrain among experts is that other countries' actions, such as China's draconian measures, gave the US a bit of time to do something, but the federal government has failed to get even the basics right in that time." ( Vox , 3/14/20)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Said The Trump Administrations Response To Coronavirus Was "Slow And Halting." "While President Trump is playing fast and loose with the facts, and blaming everyone not named Donald Trump-Congress is taking responsibility and acting like the adult in the room. The Trump admin's response to coronavirus has been slow and halting. Congress is taking action." ( Twitter Feed , 3/4/20)

Axios; President Trump Was "In Denial About The Virus For Weeks." "Behind the scenes: The president and some of his team were in denial about the virus for weeks, portraying it as just an overhyped winter flu. Over the past week, per half a dozen Trump advisers, a series of alarm bells snapped them out of their complacency." ( Axios , 3/15/20)

In Reality, The Trump Administration Has Been Far Ahead Of The Curve Addressing The Virus Including Implementing A Coronavirus Incident Management System Two Days Before Chinese Officials Even Confirmed The Outbreak

The Coronavirus Outbreak Was Not Identified By Chinese Officials Until December 31st, 2019. "Last week, Zhong Nanshan, one of China's most highly regarded epidemiology experts and the leader of the National Health Commission's task force on the epidemic, said officials had identified a coronavirus by Dec. 31 and took too long to publicly confirm human-to-human transmission." ( The Wall Street Journal , 3/6/20)

On January 9, 2020, Chinese Authorities Publicly Announced The Outbreak Of The Coronavirus. "Still, Chinese authorities didn't publicly confirm an outbreak of a new coronavirus until Jan. 9, two days after The Wall Street Journal revealed it, citing people familiar with the findings. They didn't share the genome with the rest of the world until Jan. 12." ( The Wall Street Journa l , 3/6/20)

On January 7, 2020 The CDC Established A Coronavirus Incident Management System And On January 21, 2020 Activated its Emergency Operations Center To Provide Ongoing Support To The Coronavirus Response. "CDC established a COVID-19 Incident Management System on January 7, 2020. On January 21, CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to better provide ongoing support to the COVID-19 response." ( CDC, Accessed 03/10/20)

In Another Lie Designed To Paint President Trump As Dismissive Of The Threat, Joe Biden Said That The President Turned Down Testing Kits From The World Health Organization; In Reality, The Organization Never Offered Kits To The U.S.

During A Democrat Primary Debate, Former Vice President Joe Biden Said That The World Health Organization Offered The Testing Kits That They Have Available To Give To The U.S. "Now" And President Trump Refused Them. "Joe Biden stated on March 15, 2020 in a Democratic primary debate: 'The World Health Organization offered the testing kits that they have available and to give it to us now. We refused them. We did not want to buy them.'" ( PolitiFact , 3/15/20)

PolitiFact: The World Health Organization "Never Offered To Sell Test Kits To The United States" And All Other Developed Countries With Advanced Research Capabilities Developed Their Own Tests. "The WHO never offered to sell test kits to the United States. The CDC opted to develop its own coronavirus test and did not use the WHO's protocol for the test. Other developed countries with advanced research capabilities developed their own tests." ( PolitiFact , 3/15/20)

THE MEDIA DISTORTED PRESIDENT TRUMP'S REMARKS AFTER HE AUTHORIZED STATE GOVERNMENTS TO PURCHASE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT INDEPENDENTLY AND HAS GLOSSED OVER THE PRAISE HE HAS RECEIVED FROM STATE OFFICIALS.

On March 16, President Trump Authorized State Governors To Buy Medical Equipment Directly In Addition To Those They Would Be Getting From The Federal Government If They Felt It Would Be Faster

President Trump Said That Governors May Be Able To Get Respirators And Ventilators Faster If They Can Get Them Directly. "Mr. President, you had a teleconference with the nation's governors today." PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: "Yeah." QUESTION: "and in that teleconference, you told them if they need things like respirators or masks, to try to get it on their own. What did you mean by that? And what will the federal government do to help?" PRESIDENT TRUMP: "If they can get them faster by getting them on their own - in other words, go through a supply chain that they may have. Because the governors - you know, during normal times, the governors buy a lot of things not necessarily through federal government. If they're able to get ventilators, respirators, if they're able to get certain things without having to go through the longer process of federal government - we have stockpiles now and we're ordering tremendous numbers of ventilators, respirators, masks. And they're ordered, and they're coming, and we have quite a few at this point. I think, Mike, we have a lot." QUESTION: "When will they arrive?" PRESIDENT TRUMP: "But if they can - if they can get them directly - it's always going to be faster if they can get them directly, if they need them. And I've given them authorization to order directly." ( White House , 3/16/20)

The New York Times Incorrectly Reported That President Trump Discouraged Governors By Telling Them To Try To Get 'Respirators, Ventilators, All Of The Equipment' Yourselves." "'Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment - try getting it yourselves,' Mr. Trump told the governors during the conference call, a recording of which was shared with The New York Times." ( The New York Times , 3/16/20)

President Trump Has Worked To Support State And Local Officials And Even Governors Of Deep Blue States Like New York And California Have Praised His Administration's Efforts

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Thanked President Trump And Vice President Pence For Having "Facilitated" And "Moved Quickly" On Coronavirus Testing. GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): "To date, we've done around 3,000 tests. So that is a very, very big difference. Testing is probably the single most important thing that we can be doing now. As I said, that will double. We'll be able to do about, in one day, all the tests that we have done to date, believe it or not. Again, I want to thank the Vice President, and especially the President, who facilitated this and moved quickly." (Fox News' "Outnumbered Overtime," 3/13/20)

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) Praised The Trump Administration's Coronavirus Response Saying That "Every Single Thing He Said They Followed Through On." GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): "Yeah we had a private conversation but he said, 'We're gonna do the right thing and you have my support, all of our support, logistically and otherwise.' So before he made those statements publicly, I had a private conversation with him, around 4:30 West Coast time. And he said everything that I could have hoped for. And we had a very long conversation and every single thing he said they followed through on. So I'm just not interested in finding daylight on those statements because every single thing his administration, and it starts at the top, including the vice president, has been consistent with the expectation that we'd repatriate these passengers and we do it in a way that does justice to the spirit that defines the best of our country and the State of California." (Gov. Gavin Newsom, Remarks During A Press Conference , Oakland, CA, 3/8/20)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) Praised The Trump Administration For The Support It Has Given The State In Combating The Coronavirus. GOV. JAY INSLEE (D-WA): "But right now, I believe the agencies of the federal government are being very diligent in helping our state. They are re-stocking our stockpile of protective equipment and medical supplies. We've had hundreds of thousands of new pieces of supply that have come in the last couple of days. That's been very helpful." (CBS' "Face The Nation," 3/8/20)

A Senior Advisor For Washington Governor Jay Inslee Stated That The White House Coronavirus Task Force Led By Vice President Pence Has "Moved The Ball Forward." "'The vice president has made himself available to governors on a regular basis, has done regular check-ins and has moved the ball forward on some key asks that we've made of the federal government, including expanding who can be tested,' Casey Katims, an adviser to Mr. Inslee, said on Tuesday." ( The New York Times , 3/11/20)

IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE DEMOCRATS HAVE ALSO MISREPRESENTED THE ADMINISTRATIONS PREPAREDNESS FOR THE CRISIS

Democrats Have Said That President Trump Cut Funding For The Centers For Disease Control

Senate Minority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer Called On President Trump To "Reverse CDC Cuts." "What Pres. Trump needs to do on Coronavirus: -Reverse CDC cuts -Appoint global health expert to coordinate response -Increase emergency request with no Ebola funding cuts -Expedite diagnostic testing kits -Stop proliferation of junk insurance plans not covering Coronavirus tests." ( Twitter Feed , 2/15/20)

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): "Trump Has Cut Funding For The CDC." "Trump has cut funding for the CDC and NIH, refused to reinstate a global health chief, and clearly has no coronavirus plan. Meanwhile, Asian Americans are being harassed and discriminated against. We need action from this administration before the outbreak worsens." ( Twitter Feed , 2/25/20)

Vox Writer German Lopez Wrote That President Trump's CDC Budget Cuts "Made It Clear That The Trump Administration Wasn't Prioritizing The Federal Government's Ability To Respond To Disease Outbreaks." " The cuts, coupled with the administration's repeated calls to cut the budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health agencies, made it clear that the Trump administration wasn't prioritizing the federal government's ability to respond to disease outbreaks." ( Vox , 3/14/20)

Former Vice President Joe Biden Said The Trump Administration Had "Cut The Funding For The CDC." "But Democrats, including Biden, also have dropped the qualifier 'tried' from their claims, saying uncategorically that Trump had reduced the CDC funding. On ABC's 'This Week' on March 1, Biden said: 'They've cut the funding for the CDC.'" ( FactCheck.org , 3/3/20)

In Reality, CDC Funding Has Gone Up Under President Trump. "The CDC's operating budgets, not adjusted for inflation, show the CDC funding has gone up a bit under Trump." ( FactCheck.org , 3/3/20)

The Associated Press : "The National Institutes Of Health And The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Aren't Suffering From Budget Cuts That Never Took Effect." "The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aren't suffering from budget cuts that never took effect." ( The Associated Press , 2/26/20)

PolitiFact: "It's Not Accurate To Say That Trump 'Cut' Funding For The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention." "It's not accurate to say that Trump 'cut' funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … As the chart below shows, funding increased every year from fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2020. (We have not included the 2017 proposal, since that was submitted by the Obama administration. The figures for 2020 are preliminary." ( PolitiFact , 3/18/20)

John Auerbach, President Of The Nonpartisan Trust For America's Health, Dismissed ChargesThat President Trump Decimated The CDCSaying The Organization's Response To The Coronavirus "Has Been Excellent." "'The CDC's response has been excellent, as it has been in the past,' said John Auerbach, president of the nonpartisan Trust for America's Health, which works with government at all levels to improve the nation's response to high-risk health crises. Some Democrats have charged that Trump decimated the nation's public health leadership, but Auerbach said CDC's top scientific ranks have remained stable during the past three years." ( The Associated Press , 2/26/20)

Democrats Are Accusing President Trump Of Firing The NSC Team In Charge Of Pandemic Response

Vox Reported That The Trump Administration "Disbanded" The Team In Charge Of Pandemic Response In Spring 2018. "The Trump administration, with John Bolton newly at the helm of the White House National Security Council, began dismantling the team in charge of pandemic response, firing its leadership and disbanding the team in spring 2018." ( Vox , 3/14/20)

Former Vice President Joe Biden Said That Trump Had "Eliminated" The Office In Charge Of Pandemic Response. "Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a March 1 interview that Trump 'eliminated that office.'" ( The Washington Free Beacon , 3/17/20)

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Said That "President Trump Fired The Entire Global Health Security Team At The White House." "Two years ago, President Trump fired the entire global health security team at the White House. Their job? Managing pandemics. Now we're all paying the price for President Trump's decisions." ( Twitter Feed , 3/13/20)

In May 2018, Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer, Senior Director Of Global Health And Security, The NSC Team Responsible For Pandemic Response, Left The Administration And The Global Health Team He Headed Was Reorganized . "In May 2018, Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer, the senior director of global health and biodefense on the National Security Council, left the administration. He was in charge of the U.S. response to pandemics. After Ziemer's departure, the global health team was reorganized as part of an effort by then-National Security Adviser John Bolton. Meanwhile, Tom Bossert, a homeland security adviser who recommended strong defenses against disease, left shortly after Bolton arrived." ( PolitiFact , 3/18/20)

Tim Morrison, Former Senior Director For Counterproliferation And Biodefense On The National Security Council, Wrote An Op-Ed Refuting "Specious" Allegations That President Trump Dissolved The Office At The White House In Charge Of Pandemic Preparedness . "It has been alleged by multiple officials of the Obama administration, including in The Post, that the president and his then-national security adviser, John Bolton, 'dissolved the office' at the White House in charge of pandemic preparedness. Because I led the very directorate assigned that mission, the counterproliferation and biodefense office, for a year and then handed it off to another official who still holds the post, I know the charge is specious." (Tim Morrison, Op-Ed, The Washington Post , 3/16/20)

During Morrison's Tenure The Trump Administration Consolidated Three Directorates Into One "One Such Move At The NSC Was To Create The Counterproliferation And Biodefense Directorate, And "If Anything, The Combined Directorate Was Stronger Because Related Expertise Could Be Commingled." which was the result of consolidating three directorates into one, given the obvious overlap between arms control and nonproliferation, weapons of mass destruction terrorism, and global health and biodefense. It is this reorganization that critics have misconstrued or intentionally misrepresented. If anything, the combined directorate was stronger because related expertise could be commingled." (Tim Morrison, Op-Ed, The Washington Post , 3/16/20)

Fact Checkers Shut Down Criticisms That President Trump Shut Down 37 Of 47 Global Anti-Pandemic Programs

A Number Of Politicians, News Organizations And Public Figures Have Made The False Claim That The Trump Administration Cut The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention's Anti-Pandemic Work In Over 40 Countries To Just 10. "As the COVID-19 disease caused by the new coronavirus has spread around the world, a number of politicians, news organizations and public figures have made the false claim that the Trump administration cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's anti-pandemic work in over 40 countries to just 10. The CDC told us that's not true." ( FactCheck.org , 3/12/20)

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) Said President Trump "Shut Down 37 Of 47 Global Anti-Pandemic Programs." "Trump 'shut down 37 of 47 global anti-pandemic programs.' - Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), in a tweet, Feb. 25, 2020 Murphy made this claim in a tweet that complained that President Trump had put no one in charge of dealing with the coronavirus - Vice President Pence has since been given the authority - and that Trump 'made a choice to make us vulnerable … to this pandemic and the next one and the next one.' It was quite a viral tweet - nearly 60,000 retweets and like" ( The Washington Post , 3/4/20)

"Trump 'shut down 37 of 47 global anti-pandemic programs.' - Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), in a tweet, Feb. 25, 2020 Murphy made this claim in a tweet that complained that President Trump had put no one in charge of dealing with the coronavirus - Vice President Pence has since been given the authority - and that Trump 'made a choice to make us vulnerable … to this pandemic and the next one and the next one.' It was quite a viral tweet - nearly 60,000 retweets and like" ( The Washington Post , 3/4/20) Joy Behar, A Co-Host Of ABC's The View, Accused President Donald Trump Of Dismantling Anti-Pandemic Programs Saying President Trump Closed 37 Of 47 Global Anti-Pandemic Programs. "Joy Behar, a co-host of ABC's 'The View,' accused President Donald Trump of dismantling anti-pandemic programs the Obama administration set up across the globe. Barack Obama 'set up anti-pandemic programs in 47 vulnerable countries as a way to protect against something like the coronavirus, exactly,' Behar said during the March 9 episode of the show. 'Do you know that Trump closed 37 of them?'" ( PolitiFact , 3/12/20)

The Funding Has Nothing To Do With The Trump Administration, The Global Health Security Agenda Was Largely Funded By A $600 Million A Supplemental Package Passed In 2015 After The Ebola Crisis And The Money Was Running Out. "At issue was an initiative called the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), which sought to help countries prepare to detect and respond to infectious diseases. The U.S. contribution was largely funded by a supplemental package passed in 2015 after the Ebola crisis that provided about $600 million to the CDC for global-health security work - and the money was running out." ( The Washington Post , 3/4/20)

In Fact The Programs Were Never Even Defunded And,By March 2018,Congress Has Nearly Doubled Funding For The Global Health Security Agenda . "The fear in early 2018 was that there would be only a $58.2 million appropriation at a time when the supplemental was running low on funds. But then lawmakers, within weeks, nearly doubled the appropriation. 'That article was from February 2018, and the bump from $58.2 million to $108.2 million was part of the Omnibus in March 2018' Ball said. 'The bump wasn't a given.' Here's a breakdown of the numbers. The Ebola supplemental ended in fiscal 2019, but then Congress increased the annual appropriation." ( The Washington Post , 3/4/20)

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