You can hear how much Trump is dying to make exaggerated claims for this drug but was told not to. Fauci breaks in to clarify there was never a clinical trial for malaria.
Reporter: "Is it possible that your desire to put a positive spin on things is giving Americans a false sense of hope." T: "(Sarcastically) What a lovely question... It's just a feeling, just a feeling, [I'm a] smart guy." This is such a horrible situation.
"What do you say to Americans who are scared." "That you're a very nasty reporter!" He goes into a rant, how media is negative, how they should get back to reporting instead of sensationalism. "I've been right a lot. Let's see what happens. You should be ashamed of yourself."
He is obsessed with this malaria drug and keeps saying, "Whatta we have to lose? We hear good things." Fauci looks alarmed. Reporters ask him to follow up, he's going to the microphone. They ask him to address Americans who are scared.
Fauci is trying to walk the line. "The President has a feeling. It might be effective, but as a scientist—" He's explaining that we need to collect data and figure out if it's effective.
Trump is super angry. "My message to the Am people is that there is a low chance of death... It's getting to a number that is much lower than people thought," as opposed to the ultimate problem, "Which is death." He says it's nobody's fault, we learned a lot. Vague hope messages.
This press conference is making my heart race. He's being asked about the stock sales issue—he puts it on Diane Feinstein, of course, and doesn't mention Burr and Loeffler. "The whole group is very honorable people." A reporter brings them up, he says Feinstein again.
"I don't know, but I'd have to look at it, but I find them to be honorable people." Okay, President Brutus!
He's ranting again about how much fake news there is. Claims there are no sources. "Coming together is much harder when we have dishonest journalists." Reporter asks about China, why did he say he didn't know about this earlier, when the info was out there.
He doesn't answer, just talks about how much he's friends with and respects President Xi.
Trump calls the State Department "The Deep State Department" and Fauci smiles in a horrified way and runs his hand over his face. Oy vey.
This is an Olympic even facial-expression event for the experts, especially Fauci.
Long conversation about policy and Mexico. Reporter asks Pompeo about his comments about disinformation. He says he's talking about China, Russia and Iran (I think: is this accurate?). People should go to trusted sources for information.
Someone asks about Trump attacking the media here, I don't know what Pompeo said, but he skipped past it.
BTW, the reporters are all sitting apart from one another, but the people on the podium are standing near one another.
Long conversation with Pompeo, reporter asks about sanctions. "There is no sanctions on medicines going into Iran." Reporter: "But the sanctions themselves, no movement?" T: "They know the answer to your question."
Trump loves Pompeo's answer about how much the President values the people in his department. Trump's whole focus is on clearly on whether people praise him or attack him, how well he comes across.
Pompeo is asked what message it sends to other countries when the President lashes out at reporters. (This is kind of a dead-end q, because it's just red-meat for the administration to have this fight.)
Trump "We're doing a better job than most [countries] if not all... We can bring our finances back very quickly but we can't bring the people back."
The reporter tries to get the President to argue against the attitude that people should keep things open etc. He says that Fauci should answer the question. Fauci says there's no argument for just "letting it rip."
Reporter talks about NY not having supplies, about DeBlasio saying it's Trump's fault. "I'm not dealing with him, I'm dealing with the governor. I love NY, I grew up in NY..." He doesn't answer the question or talk about supplies, just says he's getting along with Cuomo.
Reporter asks about leap in unemployment. "Is a $1000 check going to cut it?" Trump says it's more than that, it will go in phases, once we got the economy back & this "invisible enemy" is defeated, it will all bounce back. She tries to ask followup but he cuts her off.
He expresses this fantasy again, of how we're going to defeat this virus and the economy will come back like "a rocket-ship." Momentary perserveration about "Wall Street geniuses, who may not be such geniuses," some of whom agree with him.
Says "we are being besieged in a beautiful way" by companies that won't to help. Discussion about bidding and point-of-sale strategies on production of ventilators.
A reporter asks about problems with test supplies & Trump tries to turn it to his complaints about inheriting a bad system, but Azar starts to address the question. "Usually it's that the lab people don't understand that there are alternative supplies in the marketplace."
You know, I don't think I can live-tweet any more of this, it's making me incredibly anxious. Suffice it to say, it's not a great way to get information and the President is a narcissistic nightmare & it's all very sad.
Third time they've asked for a message to scared Americans. Pence answers. Naturally, he name-checks "The President's Corona Guidelines." Then gives general points about protecting vulnerable people. I'm out of here. Stay safe, Twitterfolk.
Christ, just breaking in to say that he said he wants people to get tested who are "sneezing and sniffling, having a hard time." He doesn't even seem to know the actual symptoms. She pushes: Says there are Ams who have symptoms and can't get tested. He moves on.
Fauci steps up to emphasize that as important as testing is, there's no reason to have universal testing—the more important thing is everyone following the rules of social distancing, etc.
Fauci shows empathy for people who can't get tested, but emphasizes that it's the wrong focus. Seems more honest than the others. So Pence steps up to kiss Trump's ass and deliver vague bloviations about how testing is getting better and better bc of him.
Trump steps in to go into his usual BS rant about how it's not his fault, BC he inherited a broken, old, obsolete "frankly a terrible system" & he fixed it & hasn't been given the credit he deserves, "let me tell you." More vaguenesses about how the American ppl is incredible.
And then he leaves. What a day this has been and it's just 1:26. Hope you guys are all staying safe as can be.
