Trump "It Is Not True That I Gave Up Controlling COVID-19"

Chief Secretary Attempts to Cover Verbal Slip
"It Was Biden, Not Us, Who Waved the White Flag" Counterattack

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Donald Trump stepped in to manage the aftermath after Mark Meadows, White House Chief of Staff, said a day earlier that the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) could not be controlled.

On the 26th (local time), at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, President Trump responded to reporters' question, "Have you given up on controlling COVID-19?" by saying, "No. Not at all. Actually, the opposite. Completely the opposite."

The previous day, Meadows said, "We will not be able to control the pandemic. What we will control is the fact that we secure vaccines, treatments, and mitigation measures," which caused a huge backlash.

Regarding Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's criticism of Meadows' remarks as "waving the white flag," President Trump also rebutted, "No. He is the one waving the white flag. He waved the white flag on life. He never leaves his basement. He is a pathetic candidate."

President Trump claimed, "We are doing really well. We are completely around the corner," but the resurgence of COVID-19 continues.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of new COVID-19 cases, which reached 83,000 on the 24th, exceeded 60,000 again on the 25th. If additional counts continue, the number of new cases is likely to increase further.

The problem is that this is not the first mistake by Meadows. Earlier, after President Trump was hospitalized due to COVID-19, medical staff officially briefed that his condition was very good, but then anonymously explained that President Trump's condition was worrisome, causing great confusion and angering President Trump.

A Trump campaign aide told CNN on the same day, "Meadows messed up again," adding, "Every time we try to build momentum, Meadows ruins it with interviews." Another aide told CNN that it would be best if Meadows refrained from TV interviews until the election.

Meadows met with reporters on the same day and repeated his previous remarks, explaining that the point of his statement was to emphasize securing treatments and vaccines.