Trump Oversells Breakthroughs in Boasts of U.S. Virus Response
- Medical ship not ready, drug not approved, masks on backorder
- Pence has also over-promised on U.S. action to combat virus
This article is for subscribers only.
A hospital ship that can’t yet sail, a drug that’s not approved for coronavirus, a windfall of masks that’s not due until next year. Donald Trump has repeatedly overstated his government’s accomplishments as he tries to calm Americans and fight the spread of coronavirus.
In news conferences intended to explain the government’s actions to a public that’s practically stopped engaging in social interactions or large swathes of the economy out of fear of the virus, the president has sold incremental steps as major breakthroughs, tentative moves as final and long-term measures as immediate relief.