Trump’s Easter Timeline to Open US
Evan Vucci/AP
We ran the numbers: There are 3438 news articles covering this topic. 23% (787) are left leaning, 43% (1491) center, 34% (1160) right leaning.
On Tuesday, President Trump said that he aimed to reopen the country for business by Easter, despite widespread warnings from public health experts, who say that the worse effects of the coronavirus were still weeks away. While left-leaning articles highlight the discrepancy between warnings by health officials and Trump’s comments, right-leaning articles highlight data from health officials which show the coronavirus pandemic continuing over 10 weeks.
A left-leaning article by The New York Times highlights that Trump’s comments regarding his belief that a crippled economy and forced social isolation would inflict more harm than the spread of the virus, comes at a time when large parts of the world are starting to lock down their countries. The article also notes that public health officials were horrified by Trump’s statement, which threatened to send Americans back into the public just as the peak of the virus was expected.
NPR published a centrist article highlighting that while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention usually takes the lead in outbreaks, it has been largely absent from the national stage in regard to the coronavirus crisis. The CDC hasn’t held its own press briefing for reporters in two weeks, and an inquiry from NPR to the CDC about why the agency’s briefings stopped and whether they would resume went unanswered.
A right-leaning article by Fox News reports that a top Pentagon doctor stated Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic is showing no signs of letting up over the next three weeks, and any easing of restrictions in the coming weeks would make the situation worse. Defense Secretary Mark Esper stated on Tuesday that the Pentagon estimated the country could grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic rocking the nation for at least 10 weeks.
From the left
Trump wants U.S. ‘opened up’ by easter despite health officials’ warnings
New York Times
From the right
Coronavirus will worsen over next month if restrictions eased top pentagon doctor says
Fox News