Marc Thiessen, Trump did listen to experts on the pandemic. They just failed him.

MARC A. THIESSE

A narrative has taken hold since the release of Bob Woodward’s latest book that President Trump was told in late January that the coronavirus was spreading across America at pandemic rates but ignored the dire warnings of government experts.

That narrative is wrong and unfair.

The truth is that during the crucial early weeks of the pandemic, the government’s public health leaders assured Trump that the virus was not spreading in communities in the United States. They gave him bad intelligence because of two catastrophic failures: First, they relied on the flu surveillance system that failed to detect the rapid spread of covid-19; and second, they bungled the development of a diagnostic test for COVID-19 that would have shown they were wrong, barred commercial labs from developing tests, and limited tests to people who had traveled to foreign hot spots or had contact with someone with a confirmed case. As a result, according to former Food and Drug Administration chief Scott Gottlieb, they were “situationally blind” to the spread of the virus.

In an interview Sunday on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Gottlieb said officials at the Department of Health and Human Services “over-relied on a surveillance system that was built for flu and not for coronavirus without recognizing that it wasn’t going to be as sensitive at detecting coronavirus spread as it was for flu because the two viruses spread very differently.” Officials were looking for a spike in patients presenting with flu-like respiratory symptoms at hospitals. But there was a lag of a week or more in reporting data, and because many of those infected with the novel coronavirus didn’t develop symptoms, or did not present with respiratory illness, they were not picked up by this monitoring. As a result, officials concluded “therefore, coronavirus must not be spreading.”

The Coronoavirus Phenomenon: Medical Emergency or Political Pandemic?

They also failed to detect the spread, Gottlieb said, because for six weeks, they “had no diagnostic tests in the field to screen people.” That is because the FDA and HHS refused to allow private and academic labs to get into the testing game with COVID-19 tests of their own. The FDA issued only a single emergency authorization to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — and then scientists at the CDC contaminated the only approved test kits with sloppy lab practices, rendering them ineffective. The results were disastrous.

How badly did the system fail? Researchers at the University of Notre Dame found that only 1,514 cases and 39 deaths had been officially reported by early March, when in truth more than 100,000 people were already infected. Because of this failure, Gottlieb said that as COVID-19 was spreading, CDC officials were “telling the coronavirus task force … that there was no spread of coronavirus in the United States,” adding “They were adamant.”

It is often noted that on Feb. 25, Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, pointed to the spread of the virus abroad and said, “It’s not a question of if this will happen but when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illnesses” — and Trump reportedly nearly fired her. But Messonnier also said in that same interview, “To date, our containment strategies have been largely successful. As a result, we have very few cases in the United States and no spread in the community.” She added that the administration’s “proactive approach of containment and mitigation will delay the emergence of community spread in the United States while simultaneously reducing its ultimate impact” when it arrives. She had no idea it already had.

On Feb. 20, Gottlieb co-authored a Wall Street Journal op-ed raising concerns that infections were more widespread than CDC numbers showed. The next day, on Feb. 21, Anthony S. Fauci said in a CNBC interview that he was confident this was not the case. “Certainly, it’s a possibility,” Fauci said, “but it is extraordinarily unlikely.” He explained that if there were infected people in the United States who were not identified, isolated and traced, “you would have almost an exponential spread of an infection of which we are all looking out for. We have not seen that, so it is extremely unlikely that it is happening.” Fauci said the “pattern of what we’re seeing argues against infections that we’re missing.”

The DNC/CV Conspiracy: How BLM, Antifa, and the Democratic Party Agenda fit together

It was not until Feb. 26 that the first possible case of suspected community spread was reported. Even then, senior health officials played down the danger. On Feb. 29, CDC director Robert Redfield said at a White House press briefing: “The American public needs to go on with their normal lives. Okay? We’re continuing to aggressively investigate these new community links. … But at this stage, again, the risk is low.” It was not until early March that the experts realized just how disastrously wrong they had been.

So, when Trump told the American people on Feb. 25 that “the coronavirus … is very well under control in our country. We have very few people with it,” he was not lying or playing down more dire information he was being told privately. He was repeating exactly what experts such as Fauci, Redfield and Messonnier were telling him.

Trump did make serious errors of his own during this early period. On deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger’s advice, he barred travel by non-U.S. citizens from China on Jan. 31. But he did not also shut down travel from much of Europe, as Pottinger recommended, until March 11 — almost six weeks later — because of objections from his economic advisers. The outbreak in New York, the worst of the pandemic, was seeded by travelers from Italy.

But the main reason we were not able to contain the virus is that for six critical weeks, the health experts told the president COVID-19 was not spreading in U.S. communities when it was, in fact, spreading like wildfire. They were wrong. The experts failed the president — and the country.

Marc A. Thiessen is a columnist for The Washington Post.

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34 thoughts on “Marc Thiessen, Trump did listen to experts on the pandemic. They just failed him.”

    1. But I want to parenthesize that comment by saying a vote for Biden is not a viable alternative. It’s supporting the insanity and lawlessness we have witnessed for four years. This is also the time not to waste your time and our country on a vote for a third party. In this particular election, a vote of “morality” or idealism would be a big mistake. The choice between good and evil has never been more focused than in this election. Trump is not perfect….who is….but in his four years of office under tremendous pressure, he has accomplished more than Biden in 50+ years of politics. Think about that and consider it very carefully.
      We have to deal with the hand we have been dealt. Wishing for a king high straight flush while holding a six high hand will still likely lose the pot. So this is not the time to be wishing, it’s a time to be facing the reality we have. And that reality, like it or not, is very clearly a communist takeover……not only of the US, but of the planet.
      If you believe all this vitriol against Trump is just an Oscar winning performance, think twice. A performance of that nature is not within their capability.

      A vote for Biden is a vote for the end of this republic as we have known it. We will survive the covid hoax, but we will not survive a Biden victory.

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      1. It was up earlier, but Jason is always under attack. Will likely be up later.
        It’s an interview in which he clearly states that vaccine companies have liability if there are problems. I am sorry to say we all know that is not true.
        I am looking for another version, but I’m sure 153 will be back up soon.

    2. Trump has a long history of having very meager knowledge on many topics. He has limited patience to read detailed reports or listen to his advisors. When he did listen to bad-apple Dr. Fauci, Fauci knew Trump was easily panicked, so he gave him a verbal shaft… “2.5 million people could die from the virus”. That’s all it took to panic Trump and call for a total Lockdown of two weeks in March. [ everything will be OK in 2 weeks….yeah sure ]. We’ re STILL in the useless lockdown.

      The damage is incalculable and ongoing. The authorities in the Blue state are using the lockdown as if they were power crazed dictators.

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      1. The intricacies of government do not interest Trump. He has no patience for details. He’s kind of a bumpkin, when the smallest elements can mean everything. Instead of a scalpel, he cuts with a hatchet. The astute man would say that he lacks finesse.
        That orange ChloraPrep goop he puts on his face [because he thinks it makes him look good.] is a major clue about his character and personality.

        I’ll vote for Trump and hope for the best.

      2. Good to see he will get your vote. As for the remainder of your comment, we are all entitled to our opinion.

  1. I’m sure Trump is going to straighten out the covid “misunderstanding”. But his Middle East peace agreement is another story.

    The “Peace Deal” might disillusion those who still believe Trump is “brilliant”. They might find it odd that the “Peace Deal” was executed at the same time as one of the signatories is bombing Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.

    I wonder who that is?

    https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/a-peace-deal-like-no-other/

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  2. Who knows Trump’s intentions? Very few, if any other than Trump. A few here would call him stupid. THAT would be a mistake. Stupid people do not become billionaires and POTUS. Some might call him devious. A better description could be clever or shrewd or even brilliant. Who do we know in the political or business world (is there a difference?) who could have withstood nearly four years of attacks from BOTH parties and still draw overflow crows to rallies? Does he have affiliations with bankers, investors, Wall Street (all of which SEEM to have a preponderance of Jews at the helm). How could he not? Who here honestly believe they have no connection to the Jewish world? They are a very bright people and it might do well for some of us to learn from them…take what you need, and leave the rest, eh? Did he receive a bailout from the Rothschilds? Possibly. BUT, it’s likely we all have. After all, short of the Vatican, they have more money than anyone. We all received a stimulus (at least most of us). From whence came that cash? Did you keep it? Did you give it back? Did you give it away? Who’s guilty now?

    Do you think one man, even as POTUS, had the ability to stop this WORLD WIDE plandemic? Sure, as much as one man could have stopped the World Wars, the assassinations in the 60’s, 9/11 et al.
    The best we can logically expect from any president (who are basically figureheads) is to do their best under unbelievable pressure, to persevere and yes, to go along to get along and to optimistically pray there is a plan. If those here thought otherwise, would it not be more sensible and human energy saving to just sit back and let it all go to hell? Obviously no. Most of us are here because we are looking to share our thoughts, LOOK FOR FEEDBACK, process those thoughts and hopefully come up with some answers.

    Some might say we are preaching to the choir. Rightfully so. BUT, the choir is growing, is it not?
    Maybe those outside the choir do not like to sing. They don’t know EVERYONE has a voice. And it does not have to be your voice. It’s their voice. It’s not every voice. That is what freedom is about….EACH VOICE. And each voice is different…that is what makes a choir.

    The world is waking up even though we have a rough road ahead in the next months. We the People WILL persevere. Vaccines in the US will NOT be mandated and this ‘vid madness will come to a halt November 4th, 2020. That’s my voice. What’s yours?

    Here’s a video that exemplifies that awakening:

    http://153news.net/watch_video.php?v=GBHHS4OK71NW

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    1. Your comment that we likely all have received a bailout from the Rothschild’s signifies a vapid quality of thinking on your part. Trump is part of the cabal. I have never received a bailout, let alone from this gangster banking cartel.

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      1. No, your inane comment that almost everyone has received a bailout from the Rothchild’s is about as moronic as it gets.

      2. RIGHT! Trump is “part of the cabal”, which is why there is such a massive, ongoing effort to take him out of office. The cabal does not want a member of the cabal to be the most powerful person in the world! This is the level of thinking of a sophomore, not someone serious. It’s embarrassing to read stuff like this.

      3. He’s MIGA not MAGA James. What has he done to lessen the power of the cabal? Did he EO the Smith Mundt Act? Nope! He made a major blunder where the states followed when he declared a national emergency on 3-13-2020. Colossal mistake. Has he exposed the culprits behind 9/11? Nope. Just a bunch of vapid tweets about sleepy Joe and Nancy Pelosi.

        You think Trump is the big whaler when he is just bagging minnows. You write I am sophomoric but you don’t state how he goes against the cabal. In fact, you are part of cabal education James. You can’t see the forest for the trees with your pandantic bloviation and squeezing of mosquitoes in nearly every breath.

      4. Well, tell us what you really thing! Love freedom of speech. You are entitled to your opinion. Even if I think you’ve got it wrong, I like your spirited defense.

      5. I can’t actually reply to a post or posts of yours so I have to reply from a comment I made. Two things James: 1) As John Rambo stated, “You drew first blood” with your comment that my views are sophomoric. 2) You haven’t demonstrated any tangible proof that Trump is nothing but cabal. In fact, there is not been one president in your lifetime or mine that was not part of the cabal. The cabal even thought Kennedy was one of them until he went rogue. I focus on the facts. You can’t rebut on the basis of telling me I am wrong without telling me how I am wrong and the sophomoric comment might be a reflection that it is late in the day. I welcome you telling me where I am wrong. If I am wrong, it will actually strengthen my argumentation.

        By the way, James, I was a 9/11 truther since minute one. Were you? Almost no one can say this. In fact, I was targeted and lost a job due to my 9/11 truth activism and presentations with the media, community and academia. I also never bought into this plandemic and scamdemic. I don’t wear a mask and I will certainly not submit to a m RNA vaccine or any vaccine. As Dr. Smith would say, “Spirited indeed!”

      6. Good stuff (from your point of view). I am doing 11 shows a week and lay out lots of reasons along the way. Not the least of them is that Trump has kept us out of wars (the only president in recent history of which that can be said), created a robust economy that really did “lift all boats”, where the wages of the lowest paid workers were rising at the fastest rate, and (even) brought peace between Israel and (so far) two Arab states. He has also appointed (as of tomorrow) three Associate Justices to the Supreme Court, reduced regulations, made America energy sufficient and a host of other accomplishments. What I said before I say again: If Trump WERE part of the cabal, it would be ABSURD to be making so many massive efforts to take him out–especially when they are exceptionally destructive to the nation’s economy. You are a smart guy and I am sure you have rebuttals at hand. That’s OK. Glad you are here, but kindly respect my right to my opinion as I am respectful of your right to yours. OK? If you want to see some of those shows for yourself, you can find around 150 (more or less) here: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Rbtrop3rRlZl/

      7. And another thing, James, the cabal would never let anyone outside of the cabal become president. When Israel says jump, Trump says how high? Trump has given every gift Israel has wanted since he became president. Trump says he didn’t need (((their))) money yet quietly four years ago took ten million from Adelson. Adelson is also not part of the cabal, James? Trump has ties to Epstein and Ivana and Maxwell used to run around together. Of couse, Epstein and Waxwell are also not part of the cabal.

        Do you think you have some special angle on everything James? If you do, then you don’t know how brainwashed you have been in your cabal indoctrination. Yes, us silly, sophomoric plebes.

      8. Trying to be fair about this. I have limited enthusiasm for arrogance and condescension. You give as well as you get. Let’s turn down the heat and increase the light. You are welcome to your opinion, with which I happen to disagree–not on some of the particulars you cite, which I have also condemned, but your take on Trump as a member of the cabal. It’s your opinion, but not mine.

      9. Hello James: It is late here and I will respond to some of your comments maybe Saturday evening. Good night.

  3. We know what gaslighting is, here’s what victims of the abuse have to say
    By Meagan Dillon
    Posted ThuThursday 23 MayMay 2019 at 6:22am, updated ThuThursday 23 MayMay 2019 at 9:46am
    Film Gaslight (1944)
    Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight (1944).(MGM)
    Share

    On the days that Sarah* experienced extreme gaslighting, she wished her partner would hit her.

    Key points:
    “Gaslighting” was coined from a 1938 stage play called Gaslight
    Sarah* described the abuse as “death by a thousand cuts”
    Cathy Oddie is now an advocate for domestic violence victims at Monash Health
    She said he was the “public face of good” and to maintain his reputation, she experienced a controlled form of abuse in gaslighting.

    “Many women who have experienced extreme gaslighting will tell you, ‘I wish he’d hit me’,” she said.

    She said gaslighting was so insidious and in many ways, could be considered worse than physical abuse because it could not be pinpointed.

    “It’s not like a black eye — it’s a bit like death by a thousand cuts,” she said.

    “And with gaslighting, it’s so easy to pin the blame back on the victim because it’s not visible, whereas a black eye is undeniable, it’s there, it’s tangible.

    “I’m not saying this in a judgemental way, this is about getting to a sense of understanding about how widespread and how insidious it is but how profoundly, profoundly damaging it is.”

    The term ‘gaslighting’ was coined from a 1938 stage play
    The term “gaslighting” was coined from the play Gaslight, which was created into film adaptations in 1940 and 1944, and follows the story of a husband attempting to convince his wife that she is insane.

    Dispatches from our domestic violence crisis
    A man wearing a white shirt grabs a woman’s arm.
    These people, your fellow Australians, have been through a kind of hell. Their stories are harrowing. And there are far too many of them.

    Read more
    But the term — which has been used colloquially since the 1960s — has given gaslighting victims more power to call out the deceptive behaviour.

    It is defined as a form of psychological manipulation that results in someone doubting their own sanity.

    Sarah, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was in a comfortable financial position, owned property and had a well-established career when she met her partner at the age of 30.

    “He had nothing and was living at home with his parents and was 10 years older than me but came with a story that he’d gone into a family business which went under and he bore the brunt of it,” she said.

    “I bought the story — it was very persuasive, very eloquent.”

    She said they had two children quickly but her world turned upside down when she started to experience gaslighting in the relationship.

    “I didn’t have a word for it, I’d never heard of gaslighting,” she said.

    Sarah says gaslighting made her question her own sanity
    Now 55, she said she was driven, focused and in control of her own world, but gaslighting made her question her own sanity.

    “If I asked him what was wrong, he would say, ‘nothing’s wrong — what’s wrong with you?’ It immediately made me think maybe something was wrong with me,” she said.

    “Immediately you started to turn it inwards and start to examine yourself and think about what you’ve done wrong.

    “After time, I didn’t even realise it was happening and I just operated in a way where I’d walk around on eggshells so whenever he was in the house he would create this air of intimidation.

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    1. Anyhow, I have said how they are gaslighting us and how they say gaslighting is wrong, so they convict themselves. Now remember Larry Silverstein told us he blew up wtc7, then denied he did blew it up. He told us to make it our problem. They are superstitious. Now I now can see that is what they have done with gaslighting, and other things we may not even realise.

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  4. The irony is that Aust ABC kept talking about gaslighting and they are doing it to us. They even explained what it is once (my example below I googled).

    Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse where a person or group makes someone question their sanity, perception of reality, or memories. People experiencing gaslighting often feel confused, anxious, and unable to trust themselves.

    The term gaslighting derives from the 1938 play and 1944 film Gaslight, in which a husband manipulates his wife into thinking she has a mental illness by dimming their gas-fueled lights and telling her she is hallucinating

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  5. I see your point, but let’s not forget that there is no deadly virus. COVID-19 is just the flu – a psyop being used to bring in a world government. And they all know it.

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    1. Vivian: Covid is nothing at all, not even the flu. The truly aware do not parrot or sing the songs of those who want to enslave us. Break all the shackles and become aware that what has happened is naturally occurring deaths have been slotted into this phantom virus plus people have been murdered as they were sedated and put on ventilators which is a death sentence. Say no to the mask, vaccine, testing and all the portals of destruction from these monsters.

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  6. The whole thing was a scam from the start .
    It’s an exercise being run by the World Bank,
    IMF, UN.

    It’s called “world at risk” or WAR for short.

    They wrecked America as well as numerous other nations.
    They stole trillions of dollars from the American people and
    stuck them with the bill plus interest. No one failed anyone
    because they all knew what it was and they all agreed to go
    along with it. The corporations had been preparing for years
    to enact all of the edicts of the bankers. They ALL knew!

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    1. Exactly, One big Scam. But it seems the vast majority of the population believes there’s a “deadly virus”.

      Either that, or they wear a mask because it’s the easiest thing to do. My personal experience indicates most of the population is stupid. Whatever. There have been 8 solid months of lock down with very little push back; the controllers are winning big. They are probably shocked that covid was such a home run for them.

      By the time this is over they will have stolen every hard asset worth having. The only thing left will be a slave plantation.
      But people will still have their Iphones, so maybe they won’t notice the difference.

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  7. The CDC’s own statistics reveal it to be nothing more than a very weak flue lethal only to the elderly and infirm.

    I suggest we stop discussing flimsy medical aspects of Covid 19 and focus on the psychological operation.

    If we give Trump the benefit of the doubt, he was misled, and then confused—— and now he may be coming to his senses.

    Let’s see what he does.

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  8. The lies about the scamdemic continue and continue without end. The file photo shows the current CDC lie about the number of covid 19 deaths. Its not 199,268 deaths so far….its 6% of that number !

    The photo attachment is from today’s DRUDGE Report….9/20/2020, which continues to spread lies.

    Dr. Fauci whispered in Trump’s ear that as many as 2 million people might die if something drastic was not done…like close down the entire economy [ for 2 weeks ]. Trump panicked and we now have the horrific results of the useless lockdown and the wearing of a diaper on your face.

    BTW, all of the lies about Sandy Hook continue and Jim Fetzer’s book is still banned at Amazon.

    Attachment

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    1. Trump may be the “good cop” in a classic god cop / bad cop scenario, or he may be one the better side, but still corruptly aiding people like his good mate Larry Silverstein, who did not warn the Donald about 911, but the Donald was worried about Larry’s safety. Now the Donald has not hung Larry, but the D knows what happened.

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