...
JAN 22
“We have it totally under control. ... It’s going to be just fine.â€
JAN 30
“We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five. And those people are all recuperating successfully. But we’re working very closely with China and other countries, and we think it’s going to have a very good ending for it. So that I can assure you.â€
FEB 24
“The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA."
FEB 25
“You may ask about the coronavirus, which is very well under control in our country. We have very few people with it, and the people that have it are … getting better. They’re all getting better. … As far as what we’re doing with the new virus, I think that we’re doing a great job.â€
FEB 26
“And again, when you have 15 people, and 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."
FEB 28
“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.â€
Wow! Actual specific Trump statements. Thank you (and I'm not being scarcastic). Now to apply the standard I stated at least a couple of times, "Without resorting to facts not known at the time".
What was known on January 22? The first confirmed Covid-19 case in the US was confirmed on January 20th,
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0121-novel-coronavirus-travel-case.html . So Trump's statement was reasonable
for what was known at the time.
What was known on January 30? Trump's statement says it, "We have very little problem in this country
at this moment — five." Five people in a country of >300M. Note, too, that he qualified his comment with, "at this moment".
As for Trump's statements on February 24th, 25, and 26th, his statement on the 26th gives the context of what he knew at the time: "when you have 15 people". 15 total known infections. When the first confirmed infection was confirmed on January 20th. 14 new known infections over a 5 week time period. Not the least unreasonable
for what was known at the time.The Trump comment you gave for February 28th was actually made on the 27th,
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/27/politics/trump-coronavirus-disappear/index.html :
Trump says coronavirus will 'disappear' eventually
(CNN)President Donald Trump expressed optimism Thursday that the novel coronavirus would eventually be contained and eliminated in the United States, even as he acknowledged it could get worse first.
"It's going to disappear. One day it's like a miracle, it will disappear," Trump told attendees at an African American History Month reception in the White House Cabinet Room. The World Health Organization says the virus has "pandemic potential" and medical experts have warned it will spread in the US.
The President added that "from our shores, you know, it could get worse before it gets better. Could maybe go away. We'll see what happens. Nobody really knows."
I hope you got that "FEB 28" "quote" from some website,
@FeelNoPain, because I'd hate to think that you were the one who deceptively omitted context that contradicts the p[oint of the "quote". And by the way, there are viruses that are basically seasonal, breaking out in fall-winter and dying down in spring-summer. So Trump wasn't making @#$% up when he said this coronavirus might die down a little later in the year.
Context matters, whether the context of what was known when something was said or simply quoting someone honestly. Those
gotcha-quotes fail because of chronological context, except for the one that dishonestly omitted Trump's full statement.