A coronavirus vaccine is still 12 to 18 months away from being ready to deploy, yet President Donald Trump spread more false hope to the American people on Monday morning by claiming that progress is “being made” as a second American has reportedly died.
First, Trump insisted that the coronavirus was contained and that a vaccine was close to being developed, only to be shot down by his own health officials during testimony to Congress when National Institute of Health’s Dr. Anthony Fauci confirmed that a vaccine for the virus is a year or more out.
And yet, despite being caught in that atrocious lie, Trump is still desperately pushing a version of it by making it appear that he is doing something by meeting with pharmaceutical companies, the same companies that HHS Secretary Alex Azar has admitted will charge Americans for the vaccine in order to profit from it instead of offering it at very low cost or free to end the pandemic.
I am meeting with the major pharmaceutical companies today at the White House about progress on a vaccine and cure. Progress being made!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 2, 2020
This is incredibly misleading because no matter how much pressure Trump puts on pharmaceutical companies, it takes time to develop an effective vaccine. Twelve to eighteen months is the expected target and that’s not going to change no matter how desperately Trump demands it.
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Rushing could make things worse by producing a vaccine that may not be as effective or ignores potentially harmful side-effects.
Twitter users blasted Trump for creating a false sense of safety.
Now you’re just spreading false hope about a vaccine that scientific experts say is likely a year or more away. You couldn’t be screwing this up any more if you tried.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) March 2, 2020
The US is charging over $3,000 per #coronavirus test to its citizens…
Is this the progress you speak of?
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) March 2, 2020
Dude stop lying.
— Danny (@danzu72) March 2, 2020
Wednesday: Trump on coronavirus BRAGGED only 15 people infected in US “and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero”
As of Monday AM: “The U.S. government has confirmed 87 cases.” Plus two deaths. Yet Trump is on Twitter this AM mocking media and Dems
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) March 2, 2020
A little bit late. Your State Department allowed 14 people who tested positive to fly on same plane as hundreds other. Then had them met by HHS people untrained and unprepared who later flew home to their community to spread it!
— Pat Fuller #AnyoneButTrump #VoteBlue (@bannerite) March 2, 2020
We don’t care. We don’t believe anything you say, nor do you have the temperament & intellectual capacity to lead. So we really don’t pay attention to you. You’re useless. Just stay out of the way and let the grown-ups and smart people handle this… #coronavirus #Trump
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) March 2, 2020
You SHOULDN’T be the one to report the progress status. We need the TRUTH the whole truth and nothing but the truth. This isn’t the time for lying puffery.
— Byron Ricketts (@BJR3_Boston) March 2, 2020
Still a year away? Or are we going to pretend it is up and ready, like your wall?
— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) March 2, 2020
Instead of continuing to pretend that everything is just fine, Trump needs to be honest with the American people. This coronavirus outbreak is going to last a while and will get worse before it gets better. Insisting otherwise is irresponsible.
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