BREAKING—New records reveal that, while Trump & his advisors were publicly giving rosy outlooks on the pandemic, they were privately giving dire warnings to wealthy investors behind closed doors, triggering sell offs.
So disgusting—They knew. #COVID19 🧵 nytimes.com/2020/10/14/us/…
So disgusting—They knew. #COVID19 🧵 nytimes.com/2020/10/14/us/…
2) “On the afternoon of Feb. 24, Trump declared on Twitter that the coronavirus was “very much under control” in the United States, one of numerous rosy statements that he and his advisers made at the time about the worsening epidemic...
3) “He even added an observation for investors: “Stock market starting to look very good to me!”
But hours earlier, senior members of the president’s economic team, privately addressing board members of the conservative Hoover Institution, were less confident.
But hours earlier, senior members of the president’s economic team, privately addressing board members of the conservative Hoover Institution, were less confident.
4) “Tomas J. Philipson, a senior economic adviser, told the group he could not yet estimate the effects of the virus on the American economy. To some in the group, the implication was that an outbreak could prove worse than Trump administration advisers were signaling in public.”
5) “The next day, board members —many of them Republican donors —got another taste of government uncertainty from Larry Kudlow. Hours after he had boasted on CNBC that the virus was contained “it’s pretty close to airtight,” Mr. Kudlow delivered a more ambiguous private message.”
6) “He asserted that the virus was “contained in the U.S., to date, but now we just don’t know,” according to a document describing the sessions obtained by NYT.
The document, written by a hedge fund consultant who attended the three-day gathering of Hoover’s board, was stark.”
The document, written by a hedge fund consultant who attended the three-day gathering of Hoover’s board, was stark.”
7) ““What struck me,” the consultant wrote, was that nearly every official he heard from raised the virus “as a point of concern, totally unprovoked”
The consultant’s assessment quickly spread through parts of the investment world.
The consultant’s assessment quickly spread through parts of the investment world.
8) “U.S. stocks were already spiraling because of a warning from a federal public health official that the virus was likely to spread, but traders spotted the immediate significance:
9) “The president’s aides appeared to be giving wealthy party donors an early warning of a potentially impactful contagion at a time when Mr. Trump was publicly insisting that the threat was nonexistent.”
My take—Goddamnit they knew, and they didn’t warn the public. 🔥🔥
My take—Goddamnit they knew, and they didn’t warn the public. 🔥🔥
10) here was Kudlow’s glowing public “it’s contained” nonsense on Feb 25th mentioned about. All while they were concerned it was much more dire behind closed doors. So disgusting deriliction of public duty to warn.
11) Personally, as an epidemiologist who tried to warn in January, to much personal family emotional suffering early on, this new report makes my blood boil. The WH knew and they did nothing but try to secretly help their wealthy investor pals. #VOTE nymag.com/intelligencer/…
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