“At what point can we say Trump is actively putting people in harm’s way?” asked Late Night host Seth Meyers on Thursday. “He holds indoor rallies, refuses to wear a mask, and wants to cut back on testing. Soon he’s gonna start going door to door coughing on people, licking their doorknobs.”
While numerous other countries have successfully suppressed their coronavirus outbreaks, the pandemic has reached a new peak in the U.S. The country recorded 39,327 new cases on Thursday, beating the previous single-day record set on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration intends to stop funding coronavirus testing sites at the end of June. That’s less than a week away.
“That’s like a pilot turning off the seatbelt sign after they graze a mountain,” said Meyers. “‘Don’t worry folks, we just nicked one of the Rockies. Feel free to stretch your legs and don’t look out the window — I assure you, at least half our wings are still attached to the plane.'”
Trump has repeatedly said he wants to slow down coronavirus testing because the large number of positive cases makes him look bad — the public health policy equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and screaming. As Meyers points out, “Trump has decided to just ignore, and even worse, actively cover up a national catastrophe that is only getting worse… to serve his own narrow political agenda.”
“You can go into a roadside motel room without a blacklight, but it doesn’t mean the linens are springtime fresh,” said Meyers.
Not knowing about infections doesn’t mean they aren’t there. It just means the U.S. will be even less equipped to deal with them.