1. Out of touch

Source: Screenshot/YouTube

Trump has been busy reassuring everyone that the virus is no big deal. He has claimed it will die out in April without any evidence to back up the claim. He also told Sean Hannity that people could continue to work while sick because he has a “hunch” that this is true.

Former GOP Representative Joe Scarborough pointed out on his show Morning Joe that “the President’s messaging and the President’s attitude is wildly out of touch with reality.”

2. Pence in charge?

Source: Flickr/Gage Skidmore

Trump supposedly appointed Vice President Mike Pence to lead the charge in the battle against coronavirus.

However, the President can’t seem to cede the spotlight long enough for Pence to get a handle on things. He is too busy running around the country calling it a hoax and tweeting out conspiracy theories—negating whatever message Pence is trying to convey.

3. Kellyanne’s trifecta

Source: Wikimedia

Trump’s minions are mimicking his attitude as Kellyanne Conway’s recent clash with reporters demonstrates.

Conway was asked:

“You’ve talked about how the administration initially had this contained, but during that time why didn’t the administration send out more tests and work to get hospitals prepared? I mean even today the state of Florida is saying they can’t test everyone per the administration guidelines because they don’t have enough tests.”

Instead of answering the question, Conway shot back with a question of her own, wanting to know if the reporter was a “doctor or a lawyer.”

Scarborough called her response “arrogant, boastful, and lying,” saying it was a “nice trifecta.”

4. What about those tests?

Source: Canva

There is a good reason why the administration isn’t sending out more tests to the states that need them. They don’t have any.

“We don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward,” Pence told reporters while in Minnesota.

5. Mocking concerns

Several of those in Trump’s camp have made light of coronavirus concerns. We’ve seen everything from his economic advisor telling the country that the U.S. has things “airtight” to Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) wearing a gas mask while voting on emergency funding.

There are two lawmakers that are probably taking things a little more seriously now. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) are both under self-quarantine after coming into close contact with an infected person at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

6. The perfect response

Source: Flickr/The White House

As a guest on Morning Joe on Monday, AP reporter Jonathan Lemire discussed the way Trump is botching the messaging coming out of the White House.

Lemire pointed out that Trump erroneously claimed that there were plenty of test kits available something Pence has already said wasn’t true. Trump also let slip the real reason why he doesn’t want the Grand Princess cruise ship passenger’s allowed off the ship—he doesn’t want their infections to count in his U.S. statistics.

As Lemire says, the President is “prioritizing statistics” over the healthcare of American citizens.

But the kicker was when Trump compared the accuracy of the coronavirus tests to his phone call with President Zelensky. Trump said the tests were “as perfect” as his Ukraine call…the same telephone conversation that got him impeached.

Trump at CDC:

Called Washington’s governor a snake. Pushed for cruise ship to stay at sea so US virus patient totals don’t increase. Cited Uncle John from MIT.

And said tests were nearly as perfect as the Ukraine call that eventually got him impeached. https://t.co/0wLMEuear7

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) March 7, 2020

7. No fully-formulated plans

Source: Pixabay

Regardless of Trump’s statistics, the cruise ship passengers will be landing in Oakland, California.

But according to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson there really isn’t a plan for what to do with them when they arrive.

In an interview with ABC’s “This Week,” Carson was pressed on the plan for dealing with the infected passengers, Carson admitted there wasn’t a “fully formulated” plan yet.

8. While Rome burns

Source: The White House

Be it ever so crumbly, there's no place like Rome;
Trump was the president, the White House was his home.
But he liked to play with matches, and for a fire yearned,
So he turned the world to ashes and fiddled while it burned.

(with apologies to Bugs Bunny} #NeroTrump pic.twitter.com/0CHzXauqeE

— Sondra Harris (@golfwidow) March 9, 2020