Donald Trump is not working in the best interests of the country
Ignoring the advice of his experts that testified about the ferocity of the COVID 19 Virus on Capitol Hill today and that Arizona was currently breaking all the wrong records on the Coronavirus on an almost daily basis over the last several weeks, Donald Trump decided it was a good idea to travel to Yuma and Phoenix today.
Last Saturday, he paid a similar visit to Coronavirus surging Tulsa.
Physicians in the Phoenix area will be able to report in two to three weeks if the Ion treatment (try not to laugh) at the Dream City Church (where the main rally occurred on June 23, 2020) worked in protecting the mostly maskless, non-socially distant attendees from the Coronavirus.
These three thousand mostly maskless Trump Zone residents disengaged from social distancing listened and applauded the Liar in Chief spew his greatest hits of lie after lie after lie at the Dream City Church.
Among the lies the 2016 Popular Vote Loser said at today’s event:
- He boasted that the impervious wall is being built (where is the check from Mexico.)
- He claimed he is doing a great job handling the pandemic (he apparently did not watch his people testify at the House this morning,)
- More COVID 19 testing is designed to make him look bad.
- He and Martha McSally will do everything they can to protect people with preexisting health conditions.
- Mail-in Balloting is designed to rig the election against him.
- Calling combat veteran (39 missions) and shuttle pilot (four times) Mark Kelly weak. This is coming from the person who received a deferment for bone spurs and hid in the White House bunker from protestors a couple of weeks ago.
He also called the Coronavirus “Kung Flu” again.
National and Arizona Democrats were quick to denounce Mr. Trump’s reckless visit.
2020 Democratic Presidential Nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden wrote to the Arizona Republic and stated the visit was:
“Reckless and irresponsible”
“Instead of doing the hard work needed to solve the public health and economic crises facing America, Donald Trump remains focused on his expensive, ineffective and wasteful ‘wall’ on our Southern Border,”
“Make no mistake: this visit is a distraction,” Biden said. “It’s a distraction from Donald Trump’s failed response to combat the spread of COVID-19. It’s a distraction from his failure to get Americans — including many in Arizona — the testing we need. It’s a distraction from his inability to offer a concrete, effective reopening plan that’s rooted in science and public health. It’s a distraction from his corrupt recovery that failed to get small businesses and working families the resources they needed to weather this pandemic.”
The day before the event, the office of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego released a statement which warned about the potential hazards of the visit: It said:
“Tomorrow, the President will be hosting a campaign rally at a private church in North Phoenix. The event was not sanctioned or permitted by the City of Phoenix, as the city does not permit political events. Furthermore, it does not abide by current CDC guidelines during COVID-19.”
“While I do not believe an event of this magnitude can be held safely, particularly as Arizona sees rising COVID cases, the President has decided to continue with this rally.”
“City officials have contacted both the church and presidential campaign staff to alert them to the city’s masking policy. The goal of this policy is not to hand out citations but to educate the public on the virus and its transmission. That is why we have started a robust public outreach campaign focused on education. The city has not changed this enforcement policy for tomorrow’s event. The church has indicated that they will be handing out masks to eventgoers and taking temperatures upon check-in.”
“We’ve seen tremendous compliance with the mask ordinance that went into effect this weekend. Everyone attending tomorrow’s event, particularly any elected official, should set an example to residents by wearing a mask. This includes the President.”
“Public health is a group effort, not a partisan issue. It requires the participation of every resident and level of government.”
Arizona Democratic Chairperson Felecia Roteliini issued a statement which read:
“As Arizona reels from the ravages of COVID-19, President Trump is returning to the state for the second time in two months in a desperate attempt to pump life back into his Presidential campaign at a moment when he should be focused on saving lives.”
“For the last five days, Arizona has reported over 2,000 new cases a day. Over the weekend Arizona reached 50,000 reported COVID cases. But Trump isn’t interested in public health. Now, Trump is openly saying that he ordered his administration to slow down testing, which will only showcases are still increasing. What kind of a leader doesn’t want to know the facts and science behind a pandemic virus that is killing Arizonans and Americans? No true leader puts a re-election campaign above saving Americans’ lives.”
“Even though Yuma is suffering from COVID-19 with cases topping 4,700 and climbing, Trump thinks this is a good opportunity to visit his border wall. Despite a growing number of COVID-19 cases reported among young people in Arizona, Trump is coming to Phoenix to hold a youth rally.”
“Donald Trump’s visit today is just the latest reminder that he has repeatedly failed Arizonans and our country, creating more crises and solving none of the problems he promised to fix. And Arizonans know it, that is why Trump is underwater in poll after poll in our state. “
“Trump ignored public health experts’ warnings about the virus, failed to ramp up production of protective gear, and initially praised China’s response while repeatedly downplaying the risks as Americans got sick. The fact of the matter is simple: President Trump should focus on saving lives, not holding rallies where more people will get sick.”
“We’re going to vote Trump out in November and restore integrity to this White House. But until then, it’s up to us to follow public health experts’ guidance, mask up, and stop the spread. We need to keep each other safe because this President isn’t going to do it.”
The State Party also released a statement from other national and state leaders who offered their perspective on the Trump Visit. It read:
“Before Trump arrived in Arizona for his photo-op border visit and rally, Arizona Democrats held a press conference call to set the record straight on his failed coronavirus response and its impact on Arizona’s diverse communities.”
“On the day Arizona reported hitting a daily high mark of 3,591 new coronavirus cases, Donald Trump decided to recklessly put the lives of Arizonans in danger by hosting a rally where thousands will not abide by Phoenix’s new mask ordinance.”
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez: “Donald Trump is taking his ‘Broken Promises’ tour to Arizona, the state that is ground zero for his failures of leadership. As you know, coronavirus has surged in Arizona in recent weeks, especially in recent days, nearing 55,000 cases and setting new records for hospitalizations and ventilator use with every passing day. Over 1,300 Arizonans have already lost their lives, and today Trump is coming into town for a pep rally in two different locations. What a disgrace! He should be visiting healthcare providers and other frontline workers, brainstorming about how to reduce the incidence of coronavirus, and slow the spread. This is the wrong time and the wrong place to bring together people for a political vanity project.”
Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ-07): “Let’s be clear, right now the president should not be in Arizona. We are dealing with a very, very hard situation, where we have an increasing infection rate of COVID-19, even more, so it’s severely impacting our most vulnerable communities. The growth of COVID-19 is happening in Latino communities, in working-class communities. While the president is there talking about the border wall, which he’s only been able to accomplish three new miles of it, mind you after he promised Mexico would pay for it, he should probably go stop at the Yuma Medical Center and see how many of the ICU beds there are taken by COVID patients, or he should go and talk to the unemployment office to see how many people are unemployed because he mismanaged this whole situation to the point that the pandemic ended up affecting the economy.”
House Minority Leader State Representative Charlene Fernandez (LD-04): “We could have opened up and been safe. At that time, my ZIP code was registering 20 positive COVID cases. 20. One month later, we’re at more than 250 per day. We automatically went from 20 to over 1,000 in a two-month period. It has been just demoralizing for the people that are here in Arizona, for the people here in Yuma, for people that work at our hospitals, and mostly for our food chain […] So, we have essential workers that are going out into the fields day, after day, after day picking the vegetables that you eat. But they’re getting sick and there are not enough tests.”
State Representative Alma Hernandez (LD-03): “When the CDC says, ‘Do not have gatherings of more than ten people,’ I think that’s something that as leaders we have to abide by. When our cities and towns are asking us to wear masks, it’s for a reason, it’s for a reason, it’s to keep people and the vulnerable safe, so it’s very important for us to acknowledge that COVID is real, it’s very much still alive in our communities, it’s disproportionately affecting the Hispanic and Latino and Native American communities. In Arizona, we have the Navajo Nation, which is in our backyard here in Arizona, and the president is not talking about the fact that so many of the communities in Navajo Nation have been decimated by COVID. You know, the fact that they’ve had to go on lockdowns in their community because they just don’t know how to handle this right now. It’s very frustrating that we’re in this situation.”
Arizona Congressional District Two Representative Ann Kirkpatrick, as reported by the June 23, 2020 Yellow Sheet (please see link below,) also released a statement which relayed:
” Despite initial claims that Mexico would pay for the wall, the Trump administration has announced plans to divert more than $11 billion from the U.S. Defense Department for border wall construction. “We are in the middle of an unprecedented global pandemic and economic crisis, cases are surging in Arizona. Our hospitals are trying to meet the demand for care, people are waiting in line for hours to get tested and there is still so much unknown about this virus. Instead of leading our country through this crisis by ensuring Americans are healthy, and families and small businesses are financially stable, the President has scheduled a vanity tour to boost his campaign. People that know, live, or work near border communities do not want a wall. Border wall construction is bulldozing sacred land and harming precious ecosystems. It’s not a coincidence that border communities have elected representatives who are outspoken against a border wall; our communities reject this political platform. We have been ignored by this administration, even when we simply ask for more details about proposed construction plans in our own backyard. “Every time I meet with border town officials, ranchers, business owners, manufacturers, and Customs and Border Protection personnel, they emphasize the real need is for funding to modernize our ports of entry. Our ports need modern equipment and new lanes to help commercial vehicles haul trade more expeditiously back and forth. Our border state’s economy is stimulated by trade, labor, and tourism with our southern neighbor. The obsession over a border wall as some a “solution,” is such an out-of-touch narrative perpetuated by an out-of-touch President. “It’s unfortunate he’s not coming to Arizona to discuss COVID-19 testing or to ensure our small businesses are able to survive this crisis. Today’s trip will be another example of President Trump placing his ego above Americans’ health and amplifying falsehoods about the southern borderlands we know and cherish.”
Candidates looking to replace Republican incumbents in the coming elections also offered their views.
Joan Greene, running to replace Andy Biggs (the person that thinks to require people to wear masks is the sign of a tyrannical government) in Congressional District Five, wrote:
“It is mind-numbing Trump is in Arizona and Andy Biggs is cheering him on as they attend a rally for our youth”
“Students who believe they are invincible to any harm will be harmed.”
“Parents may be facing a child(ren) sick and medical bankruptcy looming in their future.”
“Leadership is about the greater good for the many, not the self-interest of the few.”
The subject of the people not wearing masks at the Trump event and the potential health risks that might come of it briefly came up in the discussion of the importance of wearing masks and ensuring hospital space in the state in a video panel between Congressional Six Candidate Anita Malik and two Arizona physicians. Please click here to watch the video.
Another Congressional Six Candidate, Dr. Hiral Tipirneni, issued a statement which said:
“At his rally last week, President Trump boasted about instructing his administration to reduce testing for COVID-19 – a reckless policy that damages our ability to fight the spread of coronavirus in our communities. And today President Trump is holding a rally right here in our district – against the advice of his own White House’s top medical advisor – that will bring thousands of attendees and worsen the scope of this epidemic here in Phoenix, despite the fact that we are already seeing a surge in cases locally.”
“Yet despite these irresponsible actions that will cost Arizona lives and delay the goal of reopening our economy and getting back to work, Rep. Schweikert has put partisan politics above science and common sense, remaining silent and allowing President Trump to damage our efforts to fight this pandemic. We deserve strong leadership to keep our community safe, smart leadership that respects facts, and independent leadership to stand up against partisan agendas. But Rep. Schweikert yet again prioritizes his own personal political career over standing up to protect his constituents. Rep. Schweikert – if you’re not willing to put the lives of his constituents and the health of our local economy over Washington political games in the midst of a deadly pandemic, when will you?”
A third Democratic Candidate from Congressional District Six, Karl Gentles said:
“Donald Trump’s rally is an urgent call to action to end the Trump era and that of his number one enabler David Schweikert.”
“Trump came to Phoenix despite the severity of the pandemic in Arizona because he knows how important this district is in determining control of Congress. A political rally during three intersecting crises and pandemics, simply unacceptable.”
“Trump’s visit comes just days after his sparsely attended rally in Tulsa. A half-empty arena witnessed him lash out for rather than focus on the policy reforms this country so desperately needs, like my Nine-Point Plan for Real Police Reform.”
“Today was more of the same. Trump didn’t once say the name, George Floyd. Nor did he outline any substantive justice or police reforms. Our government is broken. We must defeat both the health pandemic and the justice pandemic and restore our economy. We only do so by making a change.”
Michael Muscato, a Democrat running to compete against Debbie Lesko in Congressional District Eight wrote:
“I love my hometown and my home state of Arizona.”
“We deserve better than having our competence mocked and our morality continually questioned.”
“But that won’t change without replacing the people we have currently representing us.”
“We need to elect leaders who are guided by science, facts, and who listen to healthcare professionals.”
“Partisanship is literally and figuratively killing this country.”
“Arizona will only shine as bright as we allow it to.”
Bob Musselwhite, one of the contenders for the Congressional District Eight Democratic Nomination stated:
“I had hoped Donald Trump would decide not to come to Phoenix. It should be apparent to him that his theory that heat will kill the virus is not working here in Arizona where we are apparently being treated like an experiment on his theory by our Governor.”
Another Congressional District Eight Democratic candidate, Bob Olsen relayed:
“Mr. Trump came to Arizona in an effort to get reelected. He cares very little for public safety or health and cares only for his own image and political future. Only a handful of people are wearing masks, certainly not Trump or his many worshipers.”
“I was pleased to see our own governor Ducey was one of the smart people in the crowd who chose to wear a mask, practice safe distancing, and model good sense.”
“Coincidentally Trump’s appearance was on the same day that Arizona recorded it’s single biggest increase in cases during the entire crisis. It remains to be seen how this rally will increase our cases in the coming weeks.”
Maricopa County Board of Supervisor District Three Candidate Whitney Walker wrote:
“For days now, Maricopa County has continuously hit record highs for the number of new COVID-19 cases. Trump’s visit to Arizona jeopardizes the safety of our communities, as he will not require people to wear masks at his events. This contradicts the Maricopa County requirement that a mask is worn in public when social distancing is not possible.”
“Maricopa County is suffering right now and delayed action by our county leadership has only worsened the situation. Now is the time for our leaders to uphold and enforce the laws that have been put in place to protect the public. Now is not the time to allow a reckless President to inflict further harm to a state that is already struggling to contain this pandemic”
What kind of leader denies scientific facts and risks the lives of his people during a public health pandemic so he can get a political thrill and satisfy his megalomania?
A very bad one that does not deserve to be reelected this November.
Please remember:
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