`It is what it is,' Trump says of rising coronavirus deaths
President Donald Trump said his administration has done an “incredible” job handling the coronavirus pandemic, and despite rising deaths, the outbreak is “under control” in a wide-ranging and contentious interview that aired on HBO Monday night.
Axios national political correspondent Jonathan Swan began the interview by asking Trump if his sometimes “wishful thinking” and “salesmanship” were suitable during a crisis that has killed more than 155,000 people in the USA.
“I think you have to have a positive outlook; otherwise, you would have nothing,” Trump said. As he frequently has done in defending his record on the pandemic, the president pointed to the travel restrictions he imposed on China and Europe, arguing hundreds of thousands – a number he later put in the “millions” – more would have died without those actions. He added that even one death is too many.
“Those people that really understand it, that really understand it, they said it's incredible the job that we've done,” Trump said.
“Who says that?” Swan asked, but Trump continued to talk about the China travel ban. Swan pointed out that the virus was already in the USA by the time Trump issued the ban. Experts have said there isn't enough data to conclude the restrictions made a significant difference. A study in the journal Science found the various travel limitations across the globe helped slow the spread of the pandemic but more was needed to contain it.
“Well, it's here now, and you're the president,” Swan said when Trump blamed China for failing to stop the virus.
Swan pressed Trump on whether his positive spin on outbreak – telling people the outbreak is under control and not to worry about wearing masks – could put them in danger by “giving them a false sense of security.”
“I've covered you for a long time. I've gone to your rallies. I've talked to your people. They love you. They listen to you,” Swan said. “They don't listen to me or the media or (Dr. Anthony) Fauci. They think we're f ake news. They want to get their advice from you.”
“Many of them are older people, Mr. President,” Swan said.
Trump said he thinks the outbreak is “under control.” Swan asked how he could say that after the average number of daily deaths climbed back up past 1,000.
“They are dying, that's true. And it is what it is,” Trump said. “But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control, as much as you can control it.”
`You can't do that': Trump pushes back on data
When Swan cited rising deaths from COVID-19 in the USA, Trump argued that in comparison with other nations, the United States handled the virus well. The president produced a chart that he said showed the USA was lower in the number of deaths per confirmed cases. A glimpse of the graph showed it compared four lines of data, so it was unclear what the U.S. was being measured against since there are more than 190 countries in the world.
The USA does have a lower percentage of deaths per confirmed cases than several nations, including most members of the European Union. But the U.S. rate is higher than 98 other nations, including Australia, Japan and South Korea, according to data compiled by Statista.