Paula Lugones
05/04/2020 - 20:23
- Clarín.com
- World
The stage was impeccably set up in one of the most emblematic places in Washington and at the feet of the most respected hero by the Americans. There, at the imposing monument to Abraham Lincoln, President Donald Trump settled in to offer an interview with his favorite television network and send an optimistic message to Americans : by the end of the year there will be a vaccine for the coronavirus and the year that comes it will be "incredible" in the economic plane.
In times when imagery is crucial, nothing was left to chance. Trump appeared Sunday in a virtual colloquium on the Fox network at sunset next to Lincoln, the president who abolished slavery, seeking to achieve a certain air of statesman, just six months before the presidential elections of November 3, when he seeks his reelection. Meanwhile, his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, lectures his followers for Zoom from his home, with a white library in the background.
The head of the White House was answering questions from citizens in the midst of an unprecedented health crisis, with almost 70,000 deaths in the country from Covid-19, and a deep economic debacle. But the president sought to reduce the enormous level of uncertainty that exists in the country and, as usual, he boasted of his management.
"I think we have saved millions of lives," he said, although he admitted that the United States is going to "lose some 70,000, 80,000 or 100,000 people" to the virus.
In reality, the estimate of deaths seems to be too low , even without taking into account a second wave of infections in the United States, where a third of the world's coronavirus cases have been registered. An internal report by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), which was accessed by The New York Times, even anticipates a flare-up starting in mid-May, with the daily number of deaths nearly doubling. before June 1, it would go to 3,000 dead instead of the current 1,500, so the figure would be much higher than Trump's estimate.
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But the president did not mention these reports and immediately went on to an optimistic message: " We believe we will have a vaccine before the end of the year." "The doctors would say 'well, you shouldn't say that.' I will say what I think, "he said. Experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci have said the vaccine may be ready by 2021, but not this year, because clinical tests are needed.
One hundred covid-19 vaccine projects are currently being developed worldwide, ten of them are already doing clinical trials. Trump insisted that he would not mind if another country developed the vaccine before investigators in the United States. "If it's another country, I'll take off my hat. I don't care, I just want to get a vaccine that works, "he added.
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Watch the specialTrump insisted that he wants the country's activities to resume prudently, but "as quickly as possible" and was optimistic about the economic prospects for next year. In 2021 the economy will be "incredible," he said, adding that the transition will begin to be felt from September. "I really believe that. I have good feelings, ”he said, although unemployment is increasing rampantly and in the first quarter the economy fell almost 5%.
After recommending that citizens take or inject disinfectant (which can be deadly), Trump decided to cancel his press conferences, but he still shows up every day in areas that the White House can better control. He now usually appears in short acts with governors or businessmen and answers a few questions. The strategy paid off because this past week it rose again in the polls and reached the 49% it had before, the maximum of his presidency.
Uncomfortable questions still come, but you can dodge them better. A woman asked Trump why he refused to take a more presidential stance. The head of the White House did the usual: he blamed the media. He said the press was "hostile" and denounced "an unprecedented level of anger and hatred". He even said that journalists treated him worse than Abraham Lincoln and pointed to the imposing statue next to him. The question was virtual, the TV channel was a friend. He quickly moved on to another topic.
