Contradicts itself because they are stupid...

Trump vs. Pence: The administration contradicts itself on coronavirus

The president's recent remarks have been at odds with his VP — the man he put in charge of the White House response.

By JESSE NARANJO and RACHEL ROUBEIN

As the novel coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. intensifies, President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about the crisis have been at odds with his own vice president’s — the man he put in charge of the White House response.

After Trump initially downplayed the number of cases in the U.S. and overestimated the availability of testing for the virus, Vice President Mike Pence had to correct the record. And the vice president’s praise of Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee didn’t sit well with the president.

Here are several of the contradictions that occurred within days — if not hours — of each other:

Testing Capacity
The president this week continued to insist health care providers’ capacity to test for the virus has been sufficient. Later March 10 at a coronavirus task force briefing, Pence made clear testing was still a work in progress.

Trump
March 10 after Senate Republican lunch at the Capitol

“And when people need a test, they can get a test. When the professionals need a test, when they need tests for people, they can get the test. It’s gone really well.”

Pence
Later March 10 at a coronavirus task force briefing

“By the end of this week, there will be more than 4 million more tests made available in jurisdictions around the country. One million are already in place.”

While testing capacity in the U.S. has increased in recent days, less than 10,000 people so far have been tested.

Cruise Ship Evacuees
Last week, the president told reporters that he would prefer people possibly infected with the virus on a cruise ship docked off California not come ashore because it might increase “the numbers” of U.S. cases.

Trump
March 6 press conference at CDC

“I have great experts … [who] would like to have the people come off.I’d rather have the people stay, but I’d go with them. … I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship.”

Pence
March 9 coronavirus task force briefing

“The president made the priority to get — to get the Americans ashore.”

Washington's Governor
Trump called Gov. Jay Inslee a snake. But Pence had complimented Washington state’s Democratic governor about 24 hours earlier at a joint appearance addressing the King County outbreak.

Trump
March 6 CDC press conference

“I told Mike not to be complimentary of that governor because that governor is a snake. .... So Mike may be happy with him but I'm not, OK?”

Pence
March 5 coronavirus task force briefing in Washington state

“I do want to commend, Gov. Inslee,your team’s effort and the seamless partnership that was forged from the very beginning between our administration and your administration here at the state level.”

In late February, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee – a former presidential candidate – tweeted that he’d told Pence “our work would be more successful if the Trump administration stuck to the science and told the truth.”

Since Inslee’s tweet, Washington state has emerged as the focal point of the worst outbreak of U.S. coronavirus cases, and increasingly worked with the federal government on its response. Inslee this week banned large gatherings and closed schools in the three counties hit hardest by the virus.

Vaccines
Trump in early March met with drug company executives, and later that night promised a vaccine was coming soon. Pence the next day specified that a vaccine might soon go to trial in humans.

Trump
March 2 campaign rally

“We had a great meeting today with a lot of the great companies and they’re going to have vaccines, I think relatively soon.”

Pence
March 3 coronavirus task force briefing

"Hopefully, within again five to six weeks, that [vaccine candidate] will be in humans and phase one clinical trials."

Public health officials have said a coronavirus vaccine is at least a year away.