, Columnist
Trump’s 'Totally Prepared' Coronavirus Pledge Will Be Put to the Test
We will know soon enough if the administration's plans are sufficient to fight what may well become a pandemic.
Calming words need to be matched with forceful action.
Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
During a press briefing Wednesday evening on the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump claimed the U.S. is "totally prepared" to respond to a disease that is spreading to new countries seemingly every day.
That's a bold assertion that will be tested immediately, and it may come back to haunt the administration. Indeed, the first significant challenge came shortly after the briefing as the Centers for Disease Control disclosed America's first infection not tied to travel in China or another known case. If there's one such case, there are likely to be more.