09-10-2020, 08:08 PM
(09-10-2020, 05:36 PM)Goose Wrote: Even if one believes that Trump did not inform the public about the danger that the COVID-19 virus could pose in order to "avoid panic", that can't explain why he did not actively pass that information on to the State and County authorities. Since the local level would see the disease first, giving them a warning seems only prudent. It may be that in this day and age the idea they could also keep it confidential is off the table, but it is very useful to pass a warning order to the troops if you expect them to respond quickly and properly. If it never happens, no harm done.
I think it probable that Trump really just didn't believe it. He had been told that it could happen, but not that it had already happened. If he did believe it was going to happen for certain, withholding the warning from the States makes no sense. It could only make things worse. Maybe Cuomo would have believed De Blasio from the start and not waited three days, for instance. The other possibility is that Trump figured he was doomed anyway if it did happen so try denial.
I think he did not want his finger prints on strong actions such as those imposed by other countries that had been hit earlier.