After screwing up the U.S. pandemic response, Donald Trump is now working to prevent Americans from finding out just how bad it was. Yesterday, The Washington Post reported that the White House claimed it blocked Fauci from testifying at a House committee hearing investigating the coronavirus outbreak and response — because it would be “counterproductive” — while the Trump administration is engaged in its "whole-of-government response to COVID-19."
Sure it would be. Counterproductive to Trump’s attempts to shirk responsibility for his mishandling of the pandemic, they mean. In addition to blocking Fauci from the House (but making him available to the GOP-controlled Senate), Trump also just got rid of the HHS inspector general, Christi Grimm, in a late Friday night firing.
A stellar panel on AM Joy saw the obstruction efforts for what they are. Rep. Katie Porter highlighted how Trump is systematically blocking crucial information needed by the public.
And I'm very concerned about how the president continues to attack our inspector general community which exists solely to protect the American taxpayers from fraud, waste, and abuse, and to make sure that these programs are effective on the ground.
Host Joy Reid suggested that Trump needs a “sort of czar,” like George W. Bush eventually had with Hurricane Katrina, to run the pandemic response. Trump “seems to be running point on it himself. And that seems to be the problem,” Reid said.
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel thought one czar is probably not enough. One “whole group” is probably needed for food distribution and another one for testing, he said, just as examples.
Then he called out the Fauci BS for what it is.
