Donald Trump told a crowd at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference in Washington on Tuesday that his administration is working closely with state and county health officials to tackle the deadly coronavirus, which has claimed six lives in the U.S.
“Six weeks ago, eight weeks ago, you never heard of this. All of a sudden it’s got the world aflutter,” the president told the crowd. “Things happen that you never would even think would happen.”
The president told the crowd that therapies, by which he meant therapeutic treatments, are coming soon, and they’re “sort of another word for cure.” Therapeutic treatments aren’t cures, but are meant to alleviate symptoms for patients. Pharmaceutical executives said in a White House meeting Monday that they hope therapeutic treatments will be available in the coming months, before a vaccine is available.
"Therapies are sort of another word for cure" — Trump still hasn't figured out what a vaccine is pic.twitter.com/QSAk6cyDlW [1]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 3, 2020 [2]
Many of those who attended the president’s speech were clearly supportive of him, even though the event is nonpartisan, and at one point a “four more years” chant broke out.
“This is a pretty wild group you have here,” Trump joked, saying this wasn’t a political event, even as he wove politics into his speech.
The president began his speech by expressing his condolences for the victims of the deadly tornadoes in Tennessee, and saying he will visit the state Friday. At least 22 people are dead after tornadoes ravaged the state.
Trump also was struggling as he usually does to speak clearly.
He even made up a new word, “vivor”.
Trump makes up the word "vivor" pic.twitter.com/v3xIOvf429 [3]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 3, 2020 [4]
Trump then applauded China for quickly executing drug dealers.
"They have quick trials … I just don't know whether or not this country is ready for that, but the only countries that don't have drug problems are countries where the retribution is unbelievably tough" — Trump commends China for executing drug dealers pic.twitter.com/p7pz9Fc3qD [5]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 3, 2020 [6]
Oh, and Trump repeated the same debunked lie that his daughter Ivanka Trump created 15 million jobs. Oh, the lies!
"She started out with 500,000 jobs, and she just broke 15 million" — Trump once again suggests his daughter Ivanka was somehow responsible for the creation of 15,000,000 jobs, or more than twice the amount of total jobs created during his term pic.twitter.com/kw5hjnsgUC [7]
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 3, 2020 [8]
Help me Lord:
Trump complains that when he was in school they called it "vocational school" but now, "they call them junior colleges" and "you don't really know what it means." pic.twitter.com/5nJw2VjjtC [9]
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) March 3, 2020 [10]