Most people know that Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s medical correspondent, is both a board certified neurosurgeon and a medical school professor. To say that the professor/brain surgeon likely knows more than Trump about the stats regarding the Coronavirus and the flu is one of the biggest understatements of the Trump presidency, even though most journalists understand all facts more so than Trump.

At last night’s press conference Trump either didn’t know that the well-known Sanjay Gupta was a respected physician or more likely doesn’t care. Trump thinks so little of the American people that he believed people would believe him over the surgeon. Trump was called out by a doctor citing real facts and simply lied to provide numbers he liked more than the doctor’s:

For those who don’t know, that’s @drsanjaygupta , a board-certified neurosurgeon and a medical school professor who is @CNN ‘s medical analyst asking the question. https://t.co/xrTfhwnBxC

— Mark Hertling (@MarkHertling) February 27, 2020

Trump continues to downplay the mortality rate of the Coronavirus by stating that the flu is higher, even though the early numbers show Coronavirus’s death rates to be 20 to 30 times higher. Additionally, we are sure that Coronavirus is more easily transmitted and thus will spread faster.

SG: “the flu has a fatality rate of .1%”

Trump: “correct!” – (let’s stop right here. There’s no way Trump knows the flu mortality rate yet he pretends to confirm it with authority.)

SG: “this has a fatality rate of 2-3%”

Trump: “The flu is much higher then that”
#LiarInChief

— Marms 🌊 (@GL2411) February 27, 2020

We have said this many times throughout Trump’s presidency, that Trump is going to get people killed. He certainly has previously, look no further than some of the mass shootings.

But now it appears that Trump’s bumbling, lack of care, inattention to detail, and willingness to lie, could kill thousands upon thousands who perhaps would not have died had the response been adequate and overseen by someone competent.

Trump is still far more concerned about calming the stock market because it is the stock market and the economy that might dictate whether Trump himself survives the Coronavirus. Trump has pulled all his stunts as president in a fairly decent economy. Much of Trump’s act will seem stupid to even the Right in a bad or depressed economy.

The other thing is that I am positive that it has not once occurred to Trump that the market’s big drops have been in response to the lack of faith in Trump, and the belief that the real numbers are far worse than what we’re hearing from Trump and the administration. The market might well be pricing-in increased risk because they simply don’t trust Trump and his administration.

When it is so obvious that the president is trying to charm the markets to keep them up, the response is to dash in fear that the truth is worse.

None of that matters nearly as much as the impact to the people who will suffer and die because Trump couldn’t be truthful and responsive to the American people.

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Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected] and on Twitter @Miciakzoom