News

Trump Blames Obama For Slowness Of Coronavirus Response

President Donald Trump attempted to scapegoat former President Barack Obama for the White House’s initial slowness in combating the coronavirus (COVID-19) by claiming that the Obama Administration enacted a federal regulation that made it harder to administer widespread testing.

Trump tried to divert attention away from the 11 U.S. deaths and over 150 confirmed cases in 13 states associated with the outbreak.

“The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we’re doing,” Trump said Wednesday in a meeting, which addressed the coronavirus. “And we undid that decision a few days ago so that the testing can take place in a much more rapid and accurate fashion.”

Trump claimed that under Obama, the task of disease testing development had been delegated to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He noted that this federal policy gave him little to no jurisdiction in the fight against coronavirus.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of political news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Trump made this claim without supporting evidence. A source close to the coronavirus task force told CNN, “that it’s not clear where Trump got his information that an Obama administration rule had somehow slowed diagnostic testing.”

The president could have been referring to an Obama-era proposal, which did not pass, and would have granted the FDA additional power over approving diagnostic tests. He also could have been referring to the 2004 Emergency Use Authorization Authority rule, passed before the Obama Administration, which allowed the FDA to distribute and control the availability of diagnostic tests and other medical measures, needed in public health emergencies.

The White House initially requested  $2.5 billion to control COVID-19, while Congress has allocated around $8.5 billion. The funding measure passed through the House today and is expected to be approved by the Senate and signed into law by Trump.

When a CNN reporter pressed Peter Kyriacopolous, chief policy officer at the Association of Public Health Laboratories, about the source of Trump’s information, Kyriacopolous said, “We aren’t sure what rule is being referenced.”

 


 

Emily Bevacqua

Recent Posts

Democrats Attack Green Party Nominee Jill Stein In New Ad

A new ad about Green Party candidate Jill Stein has been released by Vice President Kamala Harris'…

16 hours ago

Jennifer Lopez Says Trump ‘Offended Every Latino In The Country’ With MSG Joke At Harris Rally

https://youtu.be/inbJpo6D4BQ Jennifer Lopez, campaigning with Kamala Harris on Oct. 31 in Nevada, said Donald Trump’s…

16 hours ago

Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn Says ‘Gates Of Hell’ Will Be Opened On Opponents If Trump Is Reelected

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn declared that the "gates of hell" would be unleashed if former…

2 days ago

VIDEO: Kamala Harris Hugs First Person In Line For Her Ellipse Rally, Chats With Her Mom

https://youtu.be/JQCdk-71tG0 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris met with the woman who was the first in…

2 days ago

VIDEO: Harris Vows To Put ‘Country Above Party’ In Front Of 75,000 People At The Ellipse

https://youtu.be/xc72fdqkaVc Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to put “country above party and above self” as…

3 days ago

Trump-Friendly Judge Aileen Cannon In The Running For Attorney General If Former President Wins Second Term

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has reportedly been placed on a list of potential attorney general candidates…

3 days ago