Acting Early, Leading Forcefully, Winning Approval

🎬 VIDEO OF THE DAY: America is winning together

President Trump didn’t wait to take action on Coronavirus, from imposing swift travel restrictions on China to organizing a White House Task Force in January.  These early moves—which at the time drew criticism from some in Washington as an “overreaction”—have allowed America to slow the spread of the deadly virus today. 🇺🇸 “Every one of us has a role to play in winning this war.” Together, America has mounted a full-scale response to the pandemic. In the Rose Garden yesterday, a number of CEOs joined the President to explain how they’ve transformed their own companies to help fight the virus:  Honeywell is multiplying its production of N95 masks several times over. Jockey plans to deliver 30,000 to 50,000 hospital gowns per week. United Technologies donated 90,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to FEMA last week–with 1 million more on the way. As great American businesses step up, citizens across the country are doing their part to slow the spread, too. “The choices and sacrifices we make will determine the fate of this virus and, really, the fate of our victory,” President Trump says. READ: “What we at the FDA are doing to fight Covid-19”

POLL: Americans want better from their news media A majority of Americans—60 percent, according to Gallup—support the President’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic. A slightly smaller majority, 59 percent, approve of Congress’ handling of the crisis. The poll was conducted before President Trump signed the bipartisan CARES Act, which is supported by 77 percent of U.S. adults.  In fact, nearly all of the institutions surveyed by Gallup earned high marks from the public. Americans approve of the efforts by hospitals, state governments, schools, daycares, Federal agencies, and employers to confront the global outbreak together. There was one exception: the news media. A majority of Americans, 55 percent, disapprove of how the media has handled the Coronavirus response. Facts and results matter, especially during a crisis. Leaders across the country are putting politics aside to get to work. President Trump and Congress have joined forces on several major emergency-relief bills. Governors are implementing crucial public safety measures. Businesses are repurposing factories to make more masks and other medical supplies available. Many in the media, however, continue to put ratings before country. Last month, Politico and others spread the false story that President Trump called the Coronavirus “a hoax.” This misinformation came after the Administration had already taken crucial steps to combat the pandemic, including travel restrictions on China in January. Other pundits have actively rooted for the American response to fail. “On Friday March 20, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said President Trump was lying when he said the U.S. Navy hospital ships would arrive in Los Angeles and New York City in the near future” to help treat patients, Chrissy Clark wrote for The Federalist yesterday. “Exactly a week later, the USNS Mercy arrived in the Port of Los Angeles.” And yesterday, the USNS Comfort docked at Pier 90 in New York City. Washington pundits and reporters must start listening to the American public more and to each other less. As the country fights this Coronavirus together, timely and trustworthy information is essential. The news media should prioritize facts and constructive debate—not obsessive attacks on this President based on false narratives. Americans have had enough, and they’ve said so clearly. It’s time to hear them.

Photo of the Day

Dr. Stephen Hahn, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, delivers remarks during a Coronavirus briefing in the Rose Garden | March 30, 2020