Video EVIDENCE Trump underestimated COVID-19 threat in late Feb/early March though Congress didn't

Last edited Fri Apr 24, 2020, 10:11 AM - Edit history (1)

On March 6th President Trump signed into law Public Law No: 116-123, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, when it reached his desk after being passed by Congress.

Here is how that legislation was described in the preface to that bill:

This bill provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

...This division provides FY2020 supplemental appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the State Department, and the Small Business Administration to respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

The division funds programs that address issues such as

developing, manufacturing, and procuring vaccines and other medical supplies;
grants for state, local, and tribal public health agencies and organizations;
loans for affected small businesses;
evacuations and emergency preparedness activities at U.S. embassies and other State Department facilities; and
humanitarian assistance and support for health systems in the affected countries.

Further details are provided in the text of the legislation which can be found here:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6074

Below is a video of Trump's signing ceremony. In it he says some damning things, such as:

"It's an unforeseen problem, what a problem. It came out of nowhere."

But the most damning quote comes at the front end of his brief comments.

"So, we're signing the $8.3 billion. I asked for two-and-a-half and I got 8.3 and I'll take it."

Boom. Trump literally asked for less than one third of the money that Congress insisted on appropriating to provide "emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak." Trump didn't think nearly that much money would be needed. Congress had to force him to accept almost 6 Billion more than he requested, to respond to what was then being called "the Coronavirus outbreak." Congress was ahead of Trump on this. Fortunately he allowed them to lead him that time, saying "and I'll take it." We owed that to Democratic leadership in Congress, though ultimately the legislation passed was broadly bipartisan.

Here is the video: