Mike Pence is the warmup act for Trump during the Fox News coronavirus virtual town hall. So far Bill Hemmer's questions have been total softballs.
Conversation
FAULKNER: Gov. Cuomo is saying the govt isn't providing needed ventilators. Why not?
PENCE: "We're doing just that." (Cuomo said moments ago that the federal government has sent 400 of the 30,000 ventilators the state needs)
69
214
516
To justify Trump's desire to reopen the economy, Pence is portraying things as though the worst of the coronavirus crisis has already come and gone. That's just not the case. More Americans died yesterday from coronavirus than any day yet.
65
363
764
Fox News's coronavirus virtual town hall now features Dr. Oz asking Pence leading question means to promote unproven, potentially dangerous drugs
447
560
728
Pence used the euphemism "hopeful medications" to describe unapproved and potentially dangerous drug cocktails
44
204
541
Trump has been on the town hall for less than 2 minutes and he's already attacking Joe Biden
75
196
482
"A lot of people agree with me. Our country is not built to built to shut down. Our people are full of vim and vigor and energy. They don't want to be locked into a house or an apartment, it's not for our country" -- Trump indicates he's still planning to reopen economy next week
172
251
338
Trump suggests going back to work during a pandemic is really no big deal because lots of people die from the flu and car accidents
504
1,696
1,404
TRUMP: "The faster we go back, the better it's gonna be."
131
259
383
Trump bizarrely compares his decision to recommend social distancing guidelines to Erdogan signing a deal with the Kurds, as both leaders didn't want to do it but felt obligated to
Asked about problems with coronavirus testing, Trump oddly pivots to bashing the Ukraine "witch hunt" before absolving himself of all responsibility
82
314
619
"He's supposed to be buying his own ventilators" -- Trump is now attacking Andrew Cuomo for saying the federal government should do more to provide New York with needed medical gear
333
580
744
Trump on ending social distancing: "I would love to have it opened by Easter." (That's April 12)
"That would be a great American resurrection," host Bill Hemmer replies.
185
299
434
Dr. Birx works in some weird praise of Trump in her remarks about why Singapore has been relatively successful in fighting off coronavirus: "They took the president's recommendations and implemented them very early."
262
384
419
"Based on my experience with the task force so far, the president will make an appropriate decision based on all the data" -- Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Trump and the possibility of ending social distancing
143
108
298
"Do you blame the governor for that?" -- with a smug smirk on his face, Trump tries to pin blame for New York's coronavirus outbreak on Gov. Cuomo because he allowed people to travel from Asia back to New York City during the holidays
195
423
649
"This cure is worse than the problem" -- Trump claims a deadly pandemic is not as bad as people not being able to go to work and possibly exposing themselves to the coronavirus
76
217
414
Trump argues that reopening businesses and risking that the coronavirus spreads is preferable to staying home, because people who stay home get depressed and that can be deadly too
162
291
433
"President Trump, I do believe that as a nation we are beholden to you for your decisive, swift action in the beginning with the travel ban," Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier tells Trump.
"Thank you," Trump replies.
1,107
486
486
Trump’s Fox News coronavirus town hall revealed a dangerously confused president
99
486
1,097