U.S. federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The federal government of the United States has initially responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country with various declarations of emergency, some of which led to travel and entry restrictions, and the formation of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. As the pandemic progressed in the U.S. and throughout the rest of the world, the U.S. government began issuing recommendations regarding the response by state and local governments, as well as social distancing measures and workplace hazard controls. Following the closure of most businesses throughout a number of U.S. states, President Donald Trump announced the mobilization of the National Guard in the most affected areas.

In March and April 2020, the U.S. Congress passed several stimulus packages as part of an aggressive effort to fight the pandemic. Other proposed acts of legislation to provide economic relief have been made within both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In addition, other federal policy changes have been made by a number of departments, some at the direction of President Trump.

The Trump administration's communication regarding the pandemic generated negative responses. President Trump was initially described as optimistic over the country's response to the pandemic and the threat level of the coronavirus disease 2019 towards the public. As the pandemic escalated and worsened in the U.S., Trump made a number of false or misleading statements. In contrast, Trump administration officials made numerous statements in support of physical distancing measures and business closures.

Background

See also: Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

On December 31, 2019, China reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in its city of Wuhan. On January 7, 2020, the Chinese health authorities confirmed that this cluster was caused by a novel infectious coronavirus.[1] On January 8, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an official health advisory via its Health Alert Network (HAN) and established an Incident Management Structure to coordinate domestic and international public health actions.[2] On January 10 and 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned about a strong possibility of human-to-human transmission and urged precautions.[3] On January 20, the WHO and China confirmed that human-to-human transmission had occurred.[4]

The first report of a COVID-19 case in the U.S. came on January 20, in a man who returned on January 15 from visiting family in Wuhan, China, to his home in Snohomish County, Washington. He sought medical attention on January 19.[1] The second report came on January 24, in a woman who returned to Chicago, Illinois, on January 13 from visiting Wuhan.[5][6] The woman passed the virus to her husband, and he was confirmed to have the virus on January 30, in what was at that time the first reported case of local transmission in the United States.[7] The same day, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, warning that "all countries should be prepared for containment."[8][9] The next day, January 31, the U.S. also declared a public health emergency.[10]

Initial events and task force formation

Further information: White House Coronavirus Task Force

Mike Pence (right) delivers remarks at a Coronavirus Task Force briefing on February 29, accompanied by Alex Azar (left) and Anthony Fauci.

Trump administration officials were briefed about the coronavirus outbreak in China on January 3, 2020.[11] Health officials first substantially briefed the president about the virus on January 18, when HHS secretary Alex Azar called Trump while he was at Mar-a-Lago.[12][13]

On January 27, then-acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney convened a meeting with White House aides to draw greater attention to the virus among senior officials.[13] Two days later, on January 29, President Trump established the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Secretary Azar, to coordinate and oversee efforts to "monitor, prevent, contain, and mitigate the spread" of COVID-19 in the United States.[14][15][16] On February 26, Trump appointed Vice President Mike Pence to take charge of the nation's response to the virus.[17]

FEMA was put in charge of procuring medical supplies on March 17.[18][19] Six CDC staff members spoke to CNN for a story published on May 20. The officials said the CDC was not trusted by the White House and had "been muzzled", with their post-March recommendations "watered down". In previous administrations, they were treated as "scientists", but for the Trump administration, "if the science that we are offering up contradicts a specific policy goal, then we are the problem."[20]

In early May, President Trump proposed that the coronavirus task force be phased out to accommodate another group centered on reopening the economy. Amid a backlash, Trump publicly stated that the coronavirus task force would continue "indefinitely".[21] However, by the end of May, the coronavirus task force was meeting far less frequently, only once per week, when earlier in the pandemic, it was meeting every day including weekends.[22]

Travel and entry restrictions

Further information: Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer checks the travel documents of a pilot arriving from an international flight.

Temperature screening of arrivals at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico on March 17, 2020

On January 31, three major U.S. airlines (Delta, American, and United) announced that beginning in early February they would suspended flights between the U.S. and China,[23][24] although United Airlines continued select flights for returning Americans.[25] Later that day, President Trump announced travel restrictions which would come into effect on February 2, preventing foreign nationals from entering the U.S. if they had been in China within the previous two weeks. The immediate family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents were exempt from this restriction.[26][27] Major Chinese carriers began to suspend flights from China to the United States three days after the announcement of the travel restrictions.[25] In addition to restricting foreign nationals, Trump imposed a quarantine for up to 14 days on American citizens returning from Hubei, the main coronavirus hotspot at the time. This was the first quarantine order the U.S. federal government had issued in over 50 years.[26][27] Although at the time the WHO recommended against countries imposing travel restrictions,[28] HHS secretary Alex Azar said the decision stemmed from the recommendations of HHS health officials.[29] The New York Times analysed that more than 380,000 people arrived in the U.S. from China in January, including around 4,000 from Wuhan. After the restrictions began, almost 40,000 people arrived in the U.S. from China in February and March.[30]

Following the China-related restrictions, the Trump administration imposed other restrictions from weeks later:

• In mid-February, the CDC opposed allowing fourteen people who had tested positive for COVID-19 while passengers on the cruise ship Diamond Princess to be flown back to the U.S. without completing a 14-day quarantine. They were overruled by officials at the U.S. State Department.[31]
• On March 2, travel restrictions were implemented on foreign nationals who had been in Iran within the previous two weeks. An exemption was made for immediate family members of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. This measure was announced on February 29.[32]
• On March 12, the CDC recommended against any non-essential travel to China,[33] most of Europe,[34] Iran,[35] Malaysia,[36] and South Korea.[37][38] The following week, the U.S. Department of State recommended that U.S. citizens not travel abroad, while those who are abroad should "arrange for immediate return to the United States" unless prepared to remain abroad indefinitely.[39][40]
• On March 19, the State Department suspended routine visa services at all American embassies and consulates worldwide.[41]
• By March 20, the U.S. began barring entry to foreign nationals who had been in 28 European countries within the past 14 days. American citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate families returning from abroad could re-enter the United States under the new restrictions, but those returning from one of the specified countries must undergo health screenings and submit to quarantines and monitoring for up to 14 days. In addition to the earlier travel restrictions in place, Trump extended this quarantine and monitoring requirement to those coming from Iran and the entirety of China. Flights from all restricted countries are required to land at one of 13 airports where the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has "enhanced" entry screenings.[42][26] At least 241 foreigners (including several Canadians), who had recently traveled in China and Iran, were denied entry to the United States between February 2 and March 3.[43][44]
• On April 21, President Trump announced a forthcoming executive order barring people from seeking green cards for a period of 60 days.[45][46]

Containment efforts within the U.S.

See also: Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic and Workplace hazard controls for COVID-19

March 29: Hospital beds prepared at the Los Angeles Convention Center

The WHO on January 30 warned that "all countries should be prepared for containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread" of the virus.[47] February 25 was the first day the CDC told the American public to prepare for an outbreak.[48]

By February the CDC was exploring options to control the spread of COVID-19 in the United States. Six cities believed to be high-risk were selected for early "sentinel surveillance" to try to detect the virus in patients who did not meet CDC guidelines for testing; those cities were Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Honolulu. Very few tests were successfully completed within a five-week window. Once testing showed the disease was spreading among those without travel-related risk factors, public officials in California began to issue "stay at home" orders; it would be at least a week before similar orders were issued in other parts of the country.[49]

At a White House press briefing on April 1, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci said that, even though he expected social distancing rules can eventually be relaxed even before the availability of a vaccine, a vaccine will still be necessary to end the pandemic.[50]

Montana National Guard screen out-of-state travelers at the Amtrak station in Shelby, Montana, on April 3, 2020.

As part of the early efforts to contain and mitigate the pandemic within the United States, Surgeon General Jerome Adams announced in early March that local leaders would soon have to consider whether to cancel large gatherings, consider telework policies, and close schools.[51] Over the next few weeks, a number of states imposed stay-at-home orders of diverse scope and severity, which placed limits on where people can travel, work and shop away from their homes.[52]

On March 16, Trump announced "15 Days to Slow the Spread"—a series of guidelines based on CDC recommendations on topics such as physical distancing, self-isolation, and protecting those at high risk. The government also recommended closing schools and avoiding gatherings of more than ten people.[53][54][55] Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx cited an analysis by Imperial College London that if nothing was done by government officials, 2.2 million would die in the United States.[56] The researchers recommended enforced social distancing for the entire population and closing all schools and universities.[57] The White House recommended "social distancing". One month later, epidemiologists Britta Jewell and Nicholas Jewell estimated that, had social distancing policies been implemented just two weeks earlier, U.S. deaths due to COVID-19 might have been reduced by 90%.[58]

By March 21, governors in New York, California and other large states had ordered most businesses to close and for people to stay inside, with limited exceptions. The order in New York, for instance, exempts financial institutions, some retailers, pharmacies, hospitals, manufacturing plants and transportation companies, among others. It placed a ban on non-essential gatherings of any size and for any reason.[52]

In late March, Trump announced that the National Guard would be deployed to California, New York, and Washington, and FEMA would send large medical stations with thousands of beds to the three states.[59] The city of Chicago said it would rent more than a thousand empty hotel rooms to house coronavirus patients who need to be isolated but do not require hospitalization.[60] Containment and care facilities would include two Navy hospital ships.[61] USNS Mercy arrived in Los Angeles on March 27,[62] and USNS Comfort arrived in New York City on March 30.[63]

On March 28, the president said he had decided not to enact a tri-state lockdown of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, after having publicly suggested earlier in the day he was considering such a move; instead he ordered the CDC to issue a travel advisory suggesting voluntary travel limitations in these states.[64]

Buildings normally used for sports and entertainment were transformed into field hospitals. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, for instance, was postponed to October and the fairgrounds where it is normally held was turned into a medical center.[65] To prepare housing for homeless persons, states such as California have procured private hotels and motels as emergency shelters and isolation spaces.[66] Manpower from the military and volunteer armies were called up to help construct the emergency facilities.[67][68]

On March 31, Birx reiterated the projection of 1.5 million to 2.2 million deaths if government officials did nothing to stop the virus, compared with 100,000 to 240,000 deaths if measures such as social distancing were taken.[69] As April began, various state and local officials, including the mayors of New York[70] and Los Angeles,[71] and the governors or health departments of Colorado,[72] Pennsylvania,[73] and Rhode Island[74] encouraged residents to wear non-medical cloth face coverings while in public, as an additional measure to prevent unknowingly infecting others. The CDC issued a similar recommendation on April 3. Health officials have generally advised against the use of medical-grade PPE (such as surgical masks and respirators) by the general public, as they should be saved for healthcare personnel due to shortages.[75][76]

In early May, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington predicted the American death toll would reach 137,000 by early August.[77]

Congressional response

Speaker Nancy Pelosi signs the future Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act on March 5, 2020.

On March 6, 2020, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 provided $8.3 billion to fight the pandemic. The deal includes "more than $3 billion for the research and development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, as well as $2.2 billion for the CDC, and $950 million to support state and local health agencies".[78][79] Another bill, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, was approved on March 18. It provides paid emergency leave and food assistance be provided to affected employees, along with free testing.[80]

With guidance from the White House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed a third stimulus package amounting to over $1 trillion.[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3] On March 22 and 23, the $1.4 trillion package, known as the CARES Act, failed to pass in the Senate.[93][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] The act was revised in the Senate, coming to $2 trillion, including $500 billion for loans to larger businesses such as airlines, $350 billion for small business loans, $250 billion for individuals (sent in $1,200 checks to individuals making less than $75,000 annually), $250 billion for unemployment insurance (including an extra weekly $600 for the unemployed), $150 billion for state and municipal governments, and $130 billion for hospitals.[98] It passed unanimously in the Senate late the night of March 25.[99] On March 27, the House approved the stimulus bill and it was signed into law by President Trump.[100] On April 21 and 23, respectively, the Senate and House passed a $484 billion bill which will help fund the Paycheck Protection Program (created by the CARES Act), provide $75 billion in funding to hospitals, and implement nationwide testing for the virus;[101][102] the president signed it into law on April 24.[103]

On April 21, McConnell cautioned against any further spending, saying it would not fix the problem.[104][lower-alpha 6] On May 11, he revealed that he is "in constant communication with the White House and if we decide to go forward we'll go forward together."[106] On May 29, he said a fourth and final relief bill would be decided on in about a month.[107] On June 19, he said it should focus on "future generations", including liability shields from pandemic-related lawsuits against corporations and universities.[108] On June 30, he said the Senate would discuss the next bill after its two-week recess, which ended on July 20, and hopefully complete it before its summer recess (August 10 – September 7).[109][lower-alpha 7] On July 1, President Trump stated his support of a second, larger stimulus check.[112][lower-alpha 8] McConnell cited relief for the unemployed and "kids, jobs and healthcare" as focal points of the bill.[109][114] On July 27, the $1 trillion Republican bill was formally presented in the Senate.[115][lower-alpha 9] The bill's inclusion of funding to renovate the FBI's headquarters was widely criticized.[lower-alpha 10][lower-alpha 11] On July 31, McConnell stated that "I think there are 15–20 of my guys that are not going to vote for anything," and that Democrats were "light-years apart" from the administration and his plans.[117][lower-alpha 12] On August 5, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Trump would take executive action to restore unemployment and eviction moratoriums if necessary, although federal funding is controlled by Congress.[121] August 7 was the deadline to reach an agreement before the scheduled recess,[lower-alpha 7] with CNN reporting that Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin "were recommending Trump move ahead with a series of executive orders."[122] On August 8, Trump signed four executive orders to fund $400 weekly unemployment insurance,[lower-alpha 13] eviction moratoriums,[lower-alpha 14] and both payroll tax[lower-alpha 15] and student loan deferment, forgiving interest on the latter.[123][lower-alpha 16] Trump, Mnuchin, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have stated their willingness to continue negotiating a future bill,[128] with Mnuchin saying, "The president is determined to spend what we need to spend,"[130] but called Pelosi's insistence on a $2 trillion package "a non-starter."[131]

On May 12, the Republican-led Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions heard testimony, delivered remotely, about the effectiveness of the Trump administration's response. The expert witnesses were Dr. Anthony Fauci of the NIH, Dr. Robert Redfield of the CDC, Admiral Brett Giroir of the USPHS, and Dr. Stephen Hahn of the FDA.[132]

Speculative proposals

On March 13, 2020, Democratic House Representatives Ro Khanna and Tim Ryan introduced legislation to provide payments to low-income citizens during the crisis via an earned income tax credit.[133] The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services released a stimulus proposal on March 18 in which the Federal Reserve would fund monthly payments of "at least $2,000 for every adult and an additional $1,000 for every child for each month of the crisis".[134][lower-alpha 17] On March 18, Representative Rashida Tlaib proposed similar legislation which would involve sending pre-loaded $2,000 debit cards to every American, with $1,000 monthly payments thereafter until the economy recovers.[135][lower-alpha 18] On April 14, Khanna and Ryan introduced legislation with 18 Democratic co-sponsors which would provide $2,000 in monthly payments to 16-year-old and older Americans making less than $130,000 a year.[136] House Representative Ilhan Omar has presented legislation that would cancel rent and home mortgage payments for a year.[137] More recently, Representatives Tlaib and Pramila Jayapal have proposed giving Americans $2,000 a month until the crisis ends and $1,000 a month for a subsequent year. Representatives Madeleine Dean and Don Beyer suggest a one-time $1,500 payment possibly to be followed by $1,000 quarterly payments. On May 8, Senators Bernie Sanders,[lower-alpha 19] Ed Markey, and Kamala Harris presented a plan for $2,000 payments to Americans making less than $120,000 annually for up to three months after the crisis ends.[139][lower-alpha 20] Nancy Pelosi has endorsed some form of guaranteed monthly income.[139] On May 15, the House passed a $3 trillion bill which would provide one-time $1,200 payments for individuals making less than $75,000 annually,[141][142] but Mitch McConnell and members of his caucus have pegged it as "dead on arrival" in the Senate.[143] On July 31, the House passed a $1.3 trillion package which Politico writes "has no shot in the Republican-controlled Senate and President Donald Trump has already threatened to veto it."[144]

President Trump has floated using the low interest rates to invest in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and tunnels (but specifically excluding the initiatives of the Democratic Party's Green New Deal).[145] Pelosi has made similar proposals, suggesting broadband and water projects be included.[146]

Both Republican and Democratic governors have called for $500 billion in unrestricted federal aid to state governments, which are losing billions of dollars in tax revenue due to business closings. Existing aid to states was restricted to specific programs, mostly direct costs related to the pandemic, which faced delays being disbursed,[147] and some of which may need to be returned due to restrictions on how it could be spent.[148] Congressional Democrats attempted to negotiate state aid into federal relief packages.[149] In response to a question from a radio talk show host, Mitch McConnell said he would instead support states going bankrupt (which would require Congress to change the bankruptcy code), prompting criticism from both Democratic and Republican elected officials, including Republican governors.[150][151][148]

On May 5, New York representative Carolyn Maloney introduced a bill in the House which would cancel the student loan debt of healthcare workers.[152] Senator Elizabeth Warren has proposed eliminating student loans altogether.[153]

Other federal policy responses

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell participates in a videoconference of the Federal Open Market Committee from the Eccles Building in June 2020.

On March 3, 2020, the Federal Reserve lowered target interest rates from 1.75% to 1.25%,[154] the largest emergency rate cut since the 2008 global financial crisis,[155] in an attempt to counteract the outbreak's effect on the American economy.[156]

On March 11, during his Oval Office address, Trump announced that he had requested a number of other policy changes:

• He would ask Congress to provide financial relief and paid sick leave for workers who were quarantined or had to care for others.
• He would instruct the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide loans to businesses affected by the pandemic, and would ask Congress for an additional $50 billion to help hard-hit businesses.
• He would request that tax payments be deferred beyond April 15 without penalty for those affected, which he said could add $200 billion in temporary liquidity to the economy.
• He would ask Congress to provide payroll tax relief to those affected.[157]

On March 15, the Federal Reserve cut their target interest rate again to a range of 0.0% to 0.25% and announced a $700 billion quantitative easing program similar to the one initiated during the financial crisis of 2007–08.[158] Despite the moves, stock index futures plunged, triggering trading limits to prevent panic selling.[159] The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost nearly 13% the next day, the third-largest one-day decline in the 124-year history of the index.[160] That day, the CBOE Volatility Index closed at the highest level since its inception in 1990.[161] On March 17, the Federal Reserve announced a program to buy as much as $1 trillion in corporate commercial paper to ensure credit continued flowing in the economy. The measure was backed by $10 billion in Treasury funds.[162] At this point, the federal government neared agreement on a stimulus proposal including direct cash payments to Americans.[163] Trump announced that the Small Business Administration would be providing disaster loans which could provide impacted businesses with up to $2 million.[164]

On March 18, Trump announced that the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would be suspending all kinds of foreclosures and evictions until the end of April.[165] The week of March 19, the Federal Housing Finance Agency ordered federally-guaranteed loan providers to grant forbearance of up to a year on mortgage payments from people who lost income due to the pandemic. It encouraged the same for non-federal loans, and included a pass-through provision for landlords to grant forbearance to renters who lost income.[166]

On March 20, Trump announced that the Department of Education would not be enforcing standardized testing for 2020. Trump had also instructed to waive all federally held student loans for the next 60 days, which could be extended if needed.[167] Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that the deadline for several federal filings including income tax returns and payments would be extended to July 15, 2020.[168]

On March 22, Trump announced that he had directed FEMA to build four large medical stations with 1,000 beds for New York, eight large medical stations with 2,000 beds for California, and three large medical stations and four small medical stations with 1,000 beds for the State of Washington.[169]

On March 23, the Federal Reserve announced large-scale expansion of quantitative easing, with no specific upper limit, and reactivation of the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility. This injects newly created money into a variety of financial markets including corporate bonds, exchange-traded funds, small business loans, mortgage-backed securities, student loans, auto loans, and credit card loans. The Fed also lowered its repurchase agreement interest rate from 0.1% to 0.0%.[170] On the same day, Trump postponed the October 1, 2020, deadline for Americans on commercial airlines to carry Real ID-compliant documents.[171] On April 3, Trump announced that the federal government would use funds from the CARES Act to pay hospitals for treatment of uninsured patients infected with the coronavirus.[172] On April 20, Trump said he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration to the United States because of the pandemic.[173][174]

Communication

Main article: Trump administration communication during the COVID-19 pandemic

See also: Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic § United States

President Trump

A White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on February 29

In January 2020, President Trump disregarded warnings from his administration's officials about the threat the virus posed to the United States in favor of the country's economic considerations.[175] He publicly downplayed the danger until mid-March, making numerous optimistic statements, including that the outbreak was "under control" and being overcome, or that the virus would somehow vanish.[176] On February 26, speaking of the number of known infected in the country at the time, Trump predicted "the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero—that's a pretty good job we've done."[177] However, by the end of March, The Washington Post described Trump's pronouncements as having "evolved from casual dismissal to reluctant acknowledgment to bellicose mobilization".[178] When asked about his initial dismissive comments, Trump explained that he wanted to "give people hope" as a "cheerleader for the country", although he "knew everything".[179]

On March 11, 2020, Trump gave an Oval Office address where he announced an imminent travel ban between Europe and the United States. The announcement caused chaos in European and American airports, as Americans abroad scrambled to get flights back to the United States. The administration later had to clarify that the travel ban applied to foreigners coming from the Schengen Area, and later added Ireland and the UK to the list.[180][181] The flawed rollout of the travel ban led to hours-long waits and crowded lines at major airports for incoming passengers to the U.S., causing a public health hazard.[182] Trump also listed several economic policy proposals designed to provide tax relief for workers, aid small businesses, and fight the spread of the virus. Trump declared that insurance companies "have agreed to waive all co-payments for coronavirus treatments" (After the speech, the America's Health Insurance Plans association clarified the waivers were only for tests, not for treatments).[183] On March 13, Trump declared the coronavirus to be a national emergency, freeing up $50 billion in federal funds to fight the outbreak.[184]

Starting March 16, Trump began to hold daily press briefings on the coronavirus situation, lasting from an hour to more than two hours and usually broadcast live by the television networks.[185] On March 16, Trump said for the first time that the coronavirus was "not under control", and the situation was "bad" with months of impending disruption to daily lives, and a recession possible.[186] Also on March 16, Trump and the Coronavirus Task Force released new recommendations based on CDC guidelines for Americans, titled "15 Days to Slow the Spread". These recommendations included physical distancing and hygienic instructions, as well as directions to the states in dealing with school closures, nursing homes, and common public venues.[187][188]

On March 17, a French doctor made an online report of a small clinical study claiming good results treating coronavirus patients with the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine. On March 18 the German drug manufacturer Bayer offered to donate millions of doses of the drug to the FDA.[189] The next day, March 19, Trump promoted hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine during his daily briefing as potential treatments by prescription for COVID-19.[190][191] For the next several weeks Trump continued to promote the drug as a potential "game changer" in treatment of the virus.[192] Within days of his first mention of the drug, a shortage occurred for chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the United States, while panic buying occurred overseas in Africa and South Asia.[193][194]

March 14 press briefing

On March 22, Trump indicated a desire to scale back physical distancing measures, saying: "We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself."[195][196] Despite having said in a previous briefing that he preferred to have mitigation measures be controlled by individual states because it was compatible with the Constitution, Trump said at an April 13 briefing he had the "ultimate authority" to order the end of restrictions.[197] However, on April 16 he assured governors "you are going to call your own shots" about relaxing restrictions.[198] On April 17, Trump gave a public call to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN", "LIBERATE VIRGINIA" and "LIBERATE MINNESOTA", after protests occurred against stay-at-home orders issued by the Democratic governors of these states.[199]

By April, as the pandemic worsened, amid criticism of his administration's response, Trump shied away from admitting any mistakes in his handling of the outbreak ("I couldn't have done it any better"), but has blamed many others: the media (for over-hyping the threat, then not appreciating his administration's response), Democratic governors (for mismanaging responses), the Obama administration (for not preparing enough), China (for a lack of transparency), and the WHO (for "missing the call" on COVID-19).[200]

On April 15, Trump said government data showed the U.S. was "past the peak" of the epidemic and was "in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country". He announced a temporary halt on funding to the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, and alleged Chinese favoritism, pending a review.[201] The next day, April 16, the administration unveiled new federal guidelines for a three-phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services, but only for places with strong testing and seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases.[202]

From mid-March through late April the White House Coronavirus Task Force met daily in the Situation Room and followed with a press briefing to communicate updates, guidelines, and policy changes to the public. Trump only rarely attended the daily meetings and instead was briefed in the Oval Office shortly before he held the press conference. On April 23, during the Oval Office meeting William Byron, an official from the Department of Homeland Security, offered Trump a brief presentation on the effect of disinfectants and sunlight on the virus on surfaces, which had been discussed during the earlier Situation Room meeting. Following Byron's presentation at the press briefing Trump began asking questions and suggested the possibility that light or disinfectants could be used inside the human body to cure coronavirus. Trump's remarks prompted doctors, lawmakers and the makers of the disinfectant brand Lysol to respond with incredulity and warnings against ingesting disinfectant chemicals.[204][205]

Trump praised and encouraged protestors who violated stay-at-home orders in Democratic states, as well as praised Republican governors who violated the White House's own coronavirus guidelines regarding re-opening their economies.[206][207]

Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. is "leading the world" with its response to the pandemic. In May he told legislators he had had phone calls with Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel and other unnamed world leaders and "so many of them, almost all of them, I would say all of them" believe the U.S. is leading the way. The Guardian writes that none of the world leaders he mentioned have said anything to suggest Trump's claim was true but rather that his "America first" response has alienated America's close allies. The Guardian writes that Trump's decision to no longer support the WHO during the height of the pandemic and to not take part in a global effort to develop a vaccine "added outrage and prompted complaints that the US was surrendering its role of global leadership." A French poll done in May found that only 2% had "confidence Trump was leading the world in the right direction."[208]

On May 1, the CDC presented a 17-page report titled "Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework" to the administration. It had been written to provide advice for faith leaders, places of business and other public places, educators, and state and local officials as they began to reopen. The White House refused to use the report. Trump said he felt the guidelines were too restrictive, commenting "I see the new normal being what it was three months ago. I think we want to go back to where it was."[209][210] By mid May reports of new cases began to level off and most states began to open restaurants and other places of business, placing limits to the numbers of people allowed in the establishment at the same time. The head of the CDC, Anthony Fauci, warned that if caution was not used the rate of infections could rebound and he was particularly concerned about opening the schools in the fall. In an interview Trump replied to Fauci's statements saying, "we have to get the schools open, we have to get our country open, we have to open our country ... We have to get it open. I totally disagree with him [Fauci] on schools."[211]

At a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 20, 2020, Trump said he had instructed his administration to slow down coronavirus testing in order to keep the number of confirmed cases down.[212] This claim was contradicted in sworn testimony by the federal health officials in charge of coronavirus response.[213]

On the Fourth of July, Trump said that the United States was testing too much, and that "by so doing, we show cases, 99% of which are totally harmless." Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn declined to confirm Trump's comments. The World Health Organization estimated 15% of COVID-19 cases become severe and 5% become critical.[214][215]

Administration officials

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams (third from left) speaks to the press.

During the early stages of the outbreak, government officials gave mixed assessments of the seriousness and scale of the outbreak. CDC Director Robert R. Redfield said in late January that "the immediate risk to the American public is low," then in late February said it would be "prudent to assume this pathogen will be with us for some time to come". Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appeared on television encouraging people to visit the Chinatown neighborhood of her San Francisco district.[216] While federal economic policy chief Larry Kudlow declared the coronavirus containment "pretty close to airtight". Dr. Nancy Messonnier (head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases) and Anthony Fauci (head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) warned of the impending community spread of the virus in the United States, with Messonnier stating: "Disruption to everyday life might be severe." Around this point, Stephen Hahn, the head of the FDA, warned of national medical supplies being disrupted due to the outbreak. In early March, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, declared that "this is likely going to get worse before it gets better."[217]

In February 2020, the CDC was notifying the press it expected the infections to spread, and urged local governments, businesses, and schools to develop plans for the outbreak. Among the suggested preparations were canceling mass gatherings, switching to teleworking, and planning for continued business operations in the face of increased absenteeism or disrupted supply chains.[218] CDC officials warned that widespread transmission may force large numbers of people to seek hospitalization and other healthcare, which may overload healthcare systems.[219]

A March 14 article on NBC said CDC officials wanted to recommend everyone over 60 remain inside their homes whenever possible but was instructed by the Trump administration to not say that.[220]

Public health officials stressed that local governments would need assistance from the federal government if there were school and business closures.[221] On March 23, Surgeon General Jerome Adams made several media appearances, in which he endorsed physical distancing measures and warned the country: "This week, it's going to get bad ... we really, really need everyone to stay at home ... Every single second counts. And right now, there are not enough people out there who are taking this seriously."[222] On April 5, Anthony Fauci said that as many as 50% of coronavirus carriers may be asymptomatic.[223] In late April, Trump's adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, declared that in response to the pandemic "the federal government rose to the challenge, and this is a great success story."[224]

By mid-May, media appearances of senior federal health officials had been sharply reduced.[225]

Suppression of whistleblowers

The Trump administration replaced Christi Grimm as Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services after she produced a report documenting severe shortages of medical supplies in U.S. hospitals as COVID-19 cases increased, which contradicted President Trump's claims that hospitals had what they needed.[226] Former Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority director Rick Bright filed a whistleblower complaint alleging his transfer to NIH was retaliation for raising concerns about the dangers of scientifically unproven therapies, including sharing information about the known side effects of hydroxychloroquine, which had been promoted by President Trump in press briefings.[227] Bright testified before a Senate committee that HHS officials denied and ignored his January warnings about a shortage in the domestic supply of respirator masks. Bright said he was told that if such a shortage happened, the government would simply change CDC guidelines to tell some people they did not need to wear masks, to which Bright said he replied, "I can't believe you can sit there and say that with a straight face."[228]

Debate

The response to the pandemic has resulted in unprecedented expansion of government power. Advocates of small government worry that the state will be reluctant to give up that power once the crisis is over, as has often been the case historically.[229]

See also

• U.S. state and local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on religion
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
• Political effects of Hurricane Katrina

Notes

1. This included $300 billion to help small businesses with forgivable loans up to $10 million[81] and $200 billion to support industries such as airlines, cruise companies, and hotels through loans and other measures.[82]
2. It was suggested that $200–500 billion would fund tax rebate checks to Americans who made between $2,500 and $75,000 in 2018 to help cover short-term costs[83][84] via one or two payments of $600 to $1,200 per adult and $500 per child.[85][86][87] A similar measure has been suggested by both Democrats and Republicans as a form of basic income.[88][89] It is currently unclear whether the rebates would be tax-free.[90]
3. Democrats prepared a $750 billion package as a counter-offer,[91][92] which focused on expanding unemployment benefits instead of tax rebates.[87] A compromise plan reportedly sets aside $250 billion for tax rebates and the same amount for unemployment.[81]
4. The revised draft included suspending federal student loan payments for six months without interest and $20 billion in school funding;[94] Democrats said the bill did not go far enough to provide healthcare and unemployment aid, and that it provided a "slush fund" for corporations.[95]
5. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated that the House would prepare its own bill, expected to exceed $2.5 trillion, as a counter-offer.[96][97]
6. The U.S. Treasury Department reported May 12 that the federal budget deficit for April was $737.9 billion and the deficit so far in the fiscal year was $1.48 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office projected a $3.7 trillion deficit for the entire fiscal year.[105]
7. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has suggested cancelling this recess in order to focus on the bill.[110] On August 4, Senate Republicans announced that they expected to be in session the next week.[111]
8. On July 6, McConnell floated the possibility of a stimulus check for families who make less than $40,000 annually.[113]
9. In addition to another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for individuals making less than $75,000 annually, it would provide $105 billion for adapting education to the crisis, $26 billion for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, and $16 billion for state virus testing. It would also reduce the amount of extra unemployment insurance to $200 weekly.[115]
10. Democrats accused the White House, which apparently dictated some of the bill's contents, of trying to prevent the current FBI building from being sold as a hotel, which would compete with the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.[116]
11. McConnell stated, "When we get to the end of the process, I would hope all the non-COVID-related measures are out."[116]
12. Democrats agreed on $1,200 stimulus checks and continuing additional unemployment insurance, but differed on whether the latter should be reduced.[118] Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated that it "should be tied to some percentage of wages; the fact that we had a flat number was only an issue of an emergency."[119] On August 4, McConnell said he was "prepared to support" a bill restoring the emergency $600 weekly unemployment.[120]
13. The federal government would fund $300 weekly and states would be asked to provide an additional $100[123] (later confirmed to be optional).[124] The Washington Post cites "a leading national expert on unemployment benefits", who said the program could take "months" to create.[125]
14. The Washington Post points out that "Trump's directive to halt evictions primarily calls for federal agencies to 'consider' if they should be stopped."[125][126]
15. Trump used this deferment to promote his 2020 presidential campaign, saying, "If victorious on November 3rd, I plan to forgive these taxes and make permanent cuts to the payroll tax."[125] This was criticized by Democrats, who have pointed out that the payroll tax funds Social Security and Medicare,[127] but Trump said Social Security would still be funded.[128]
16. Trump signed the orders over the weekend in his private New Jersey country club, excusing the crowded gathering by calling it a "peaceful protest".[126] The legality of the orders has been questioned.[121][129]
17. Other elements include suspending all consumer and small business credit payments.[134]
18. This would be funded by the U.S. Treasury minting two trillion-dollar coins. According to Tlaib, the Treasury has this authority, and it would not increase the national debt.[135]
19. Sanders has called for a monthly basic income to help "every person in the United States, including the undocumented, the homeless, the unbanked, and young adults excluded from the CARES Act".[138]
20. Forbes notes that this is unlikely to pass as it would cost over $304 billion a month.[140]

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