Some of the more direct divisions with the administration have been related to the issue of testing, which, while it has improved markedly since the early days of the outbreak in the US, is still not where experts say it is necessary, with delays in test results that sometimes extend for weeks or more in some areas.
Former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney discussed the administration’s testing skills in an op-ed on Monday, calling the difficulties his family encountered when trying to get tested and the wait time for results “simply inexcusable.” ”
Mulvaney’s editorial urged Congress to focus on fighting the virus itself rather than just fiscal stimulus measures in its next rescue package, acknowledging that dissent on the coronavirus is not “popular in some Republican circles “
On Tuesday morning, the build-up continued as “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade acknowledged a “big testing problem,” as well as an increasing shortage of personal protective equipment as virus cases soar. one more time.
“What the president can do, what the president can do, and what his administration can do is make sure they are not a problem. I mean it has been four or five months. It should not be a problem,” Kilmeade said.
On a visit to a South Carolina hospital later in the day, Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s strongest allies on the hill, said the lack of timely evidence was one of the key issues raised during his visit. .
“We just don’t have enough real-time testing for the general population,” he said, suggesting that the White House could invoke the Defense Production Act to compel companies to produce test supplies or incentivize group testing.
“I would advise the task force to do everything possible to increase the components of the tests,” Graham urged, noting that for the children to safely return to school next month, “they will need more tests, not Less. “
The White House has continued to defend the administration’s testing capabilities, with Trump again calling the United States the “best in the world” in evidence and reiterating his belief that testing is a “double-edged sword.”
But even Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for Health and Human Services, tapped by the White House to be its testing czar, said over the weekend that commercial labs, which conduct much of the nation’s testing apart of point-of-care tests, they were experiencing delays in test results.
“We need to decrease the time to change those results, and we have a number of efforts,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The split between Trump and his allies in the tests follows an earlier split on the subject of wearing masks. After weeks of pleas from Republicans for Americans to wear masks as virus cases in the south and west began to rise, and vague suggestions that the president could set a positive example by donning a mask, Trump himself finally relented and used one in public for the first time over the weekend.
In Florida, where the state broke a daily record of cases over the weekend, Gov. Ron DeSantis took a bleaker tone on Monday, addressing residents’ fears about the virus, including whether students should return to school. in the fall as his state. it is planning
“I know that many Floridians are full of apprehension as they wonder, you know, what this means. What do these trends mean for our health, our families and our jobs? How long will this last? What is going to happen with things like children being at school? she said at a press conference.
“I am listening to you, and together with our federal partners, our local leaders and our large medical community, we are working non-stop to be able to respond to this crisis,” he continued, urging Floridians not to be “dragged down.” fear.”
DeSantis also acknowledged testing problems, explaining that the state needed “faster results.”
Texas, another key point of the Sun Belt, made waves when it moved to reverse state-wide reopening measures, closing bars and restricting other businesses believed to be contributing to the increase in cases. And after rejecting calls to issue a mask mandate, Governor Greg Abbott initially gave local leaders greater authority to issue his own before ordering that facial covers be worn in most of the state.
When the Houston Democratic mayor canceled the Texas Republican Party convention in person last week, the move drew criticism from the party and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. But Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a first-year lawmaker seen by some as a rising star in the party, applauded the decision and called it a “prudent move to public health.”
Still, the Republican Party is moving forward with plans to hold its nominating convention in just over a month in Jacksonville, Florida. The New York Times reported Tuesday that officials have decided to move three days of events, including Trump’s nomination speech – out of an outdoor arena, a change made after consulting with the president and other political advisers on Monday night.
The decision comes when Republican lawmakers have shown skepticism about attending the event, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have announced they will skip it entirely.
And despite what has become an aggressive push by the White House for schools across the country to reopen in the fall, with threats to stifle federal funds for districts that do not comply with orders, some of the Largest districts in the country have scorned the administration on in-person instruction.
Even some Republican school heads and groups traditionally supported by the Republican Party like the Chamber of Commerce have voiced a pause about the White House lobbying campaign, while some lawmakers have hesitated to echo Trump’s demand for an education. in the classroom for everyone.
“We don’t want a resurgence, we don’t want young people to get sick or take it to their parents, or to teachers, some of whom are at increased risk of age who may also be at increased risk of contracting the disease,” said the Rep Chris Smith (RN.J.) Tuesday in an interview on Fox News.
“Yes, I want the children to go back to school, but yes and only if, and I say that in capital letters, it’s safe,” Smith argued.
Meanwhile, Trump has targeted health officials, including Fauci, who has become a household name throughout the pandemic for his outspokenness when it comes to the severity of the outbreak.
Last week, Trump denounced the CDC’s guidelines for reopening schools, calling them “very expensive and difficult” as well as “impractical” and having Vice President Mike Pence announce that the agency will issue additional and clarifying recommendations soon.
On Monday morning, the president retweeted messages from former gaming show personality Chuck Woolery complaining that “everyone is lying” about the virus, naming the CDC, Democrats, the media and “our doctors” in particular.
The indirect criticism came a day after the White House reportedly told various media outlets that several of its officials were “concerned about the number of times Dr. Fauci had been wrong about things,” and provided a long list of statements made by the respected immunologist. in the early days of the outbreak it might seem harmful in retrospect.
