Trump promised this would all go away in April as the weather warmed up
Known global deaths surpass 200,000. The U.S. figure will pass 50,000. But the real toll is a mystery.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/us/c ... dates.html
260,000 Words, Full of Self-Praise, From Trump on the Virus
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/202 ... e=Homepage
"The New York Times analyzed every word Mr. Trump spoke at his White House briefings and other presidential remarks on the virus — more than 260,000 words — from March 9, when the outbreak began leading to widespread disruptions in daily life, through mid-April. The transcripts show striking patterns and repetitions in the messages he has conveyed, revealing a display of presidential hubris and self-pity unlike anything historians say they have seen before.
By far the most recurring utterances from Mr. Trump in the briefings are self-congratulations, roughly 600 of them, which are often predicated on exaggerations and falsehoods. He does credit others (more than 360 times) for their work, but he also blames others (more than 110 times) for inadequacies in the state and federal response.
Mr. Trump’s attempts to display empathy or appeal to national unity (about 160 instances) amount to only a quarter of the number of times he complimented himself or a top member of his team.
Here is what a week of the analysis looks like:
Excerpts From a Week of Briefings
“But the authority of the President of the United States, having to do with the subject we’re talking about, is total.”
Exaggerations and falsehoods
“This is a horrible thing that happened to our country. This is a horrible thing that happened to 184 countries all over the world. This is a horrible thing, and there was no reason for it. It should never, ever happen again.”
“But, you know, sort of — I’ve been brutalized for the last four years. I used to do well before I decided to run for politics. But I guess I’m doing okay because, to the best of my knowledge, I’m the president of the United States, despite the things that are said.”
Displays empathy or appeals to unity
“I watched the governor of Arkansas, Asa. You saw that. He — I thought he was terrific. I watched the governor of Oklahoma over the weekend being interviewed. He was terrific.”
Self-congratulations
Credits others
“You know, they’re supposed to buy their own stockpile. They have state stockpiles. They’re supposed to be using that. And unfortunately, most of the states weren’t there. And a lot of people didn’t want to talk about it, but they weren’t there.”
Blaming others
The Times analyzed 42 press briefing transcripts and other remarks by Mr. Trump on the virus from March 9 to April 17, using transcripts from whitehouse.gov. Links are provided to the transcripts in the sections of quotes below. The visualization above shows only portions of briefings when Mr. Trump is speaking.Mr. Trump has mentioned his immediate predecessor, President Barack Obama, roughly 10 times, sometimes in response to a question. And he has referred to previous administrations about 30 times, often accusing them of leaving him with faulty conditions. Mr. Trump has
mentioned governors, individually or as a group, about 400 times, alternating between compliments and criticism.
What a Fing incompetent A$$hole president