Contradicting Chief Of Staff, Trump Says He Hasn’t Given Up On Controlling COVID-19

On Monday, President Donald Trump told reporters that the Trump Administration has not given up efforts to fight the coronavirus. Trump’s statement was made after reporters asked him about White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ statement in an interview that United States would not “control” the pandemic.

“We’ve done an incredible job,” Trump stated of his administration’s response to the coronavirus, claiming that the country is “absolutely rounding the corner.” The latest death toll count has reached 225,000 Americans, and on Friday, a new single-day record of 83,010 cases was reached.

Meadows told CNN on Sunday that the country was “not going to control the pandemic” and that the focus should be less on prevention and more on response, as the country can “control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas.”

Meadows’ interview with CNN did not come at an auspicious time for the president, since the election is just a week away, and Vice President Mike Pence‘s staff has had a recent coronavirus outbreak. This perfect storm has created an opportunity for Democratic nominee Joe Biden to state why his response to COVID makes him a better candidate.

“This wasn’t a slip by Meadows,” Biden said on Sunday regarding the CNN interview. “It was a candid acknowledgement of what President Trump’s strategy has clearly been from the beginning of the crisis: to wave the white flag of defeat and hope that by ignoring it, the virus would simply go away. It hasn’t, and it won’t.” Last month, he said he would “follow the science,” and reassured Americans that there was “going to be no need to shut down the whole economy.”

While Biden says that Trump hasn’t done enough, Trump says that Biden is weak for wanting to encourage stricter virus prevention efforts.

“[Biden has] waved the white flag on life. He doesn’t leave his basement. This guy doesn’t leave his basement. He’s a pathetic candidate, I will tell you that,” stated Trump on Monday in response to Biden’s criticisms.