Verbatim

Trump Gives Self 10 Out of 10 Grade on Pandemic Response

March 17, 2020 Buck Banks

“I’d rate it a 10. … I think we’ve done a great job, and it started with the fact that we kept a very highly-infected country, despite all of the, even the professionals saying it’s too early to do that. We were very, very early with respect to China and we would have a whole different situation in this country if we didn’t do that.”

— President Trump told reporters that he would rate his administration’s response to the coronavirus a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, The Hill reports.

Trump Tells Governors to Get Their Own Medical Equipment

March 17, 2020 Buck Banks

“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves… We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself.”

— “President Trump told a group of governors Monday morning that they should not wait for the federal government to fill the growing demand for respirators needed to help people diagnosed with coronavirus,” the New York Times reports.

Another Reason to Be Glad Trump Is Not Managing Your Stock Portfolio

March 16, 2020 Buck Banks

“It makes me very happy. I think that people in the market should be very thrilled.”

— President Trump, quoted by Barron’s after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to zero yesterday. Stock trading was halted this morning just seconds after the market opening.

Biden Says His Veep Will Be a Woman

March 16, 2020 Buck Banks

“If I’m elected president, my Cabinet, my administration will look like the country. And I commit that I will in fact pick a woman to be vice president.”

— Joe Biden committed to picking a woman as his running mate if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination.

Nunes Tells Foxers to Ignore Health Experts

March 16, 2020 Buck Banks

“If you’re healthy, you and your family, it’s a great time to go out and go to a local restaurant, likely you can get in easy. Let’s not hurt the working people in this country … go to your local pub.”

— Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), on Fox News, telling people to ignore the advice of public health experts.

De Blasio: We Need War-Time Footing, but We Get Mar-A-Lago

March 16, 2020 Buck Banks

“Our country is in a war-time scenario but we’re getting a Mar-a-Lago attitude from the federal government. We need testing, ventilators, surgical masks and we needed them weeks ago, when Trump was still calling this pandemic a hoax ….”

— New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, on Twitter.

Mnuchin Not Foreseeing a Recession

March 16, 2020 Buck Banks

“I don’t think so. The real issue is not the economic situation today… This is a unique situation. We are going to have a slowdown. Later in the year economic activity will pick up as we confront this virus.”

— Despite forecasting an economic slowdown, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told ABC News that he does not think the coronavirus pandemic will cause a recession.

WHO Finally calls It a Pandemic

March 11, 2020 Buck Banks

“Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.”

— World Health Organization officials said the spread of the coronavirus across more than 100 countries now qualifies as a global pandemic, confirming what many epidemiologists have been saying for weeks, the New York Times reports.

Carville: The Primary Is Over

March 11, 2020 Buck Banks

“Let’s shut this puppy down, and let’s move on and worry about November. This thing is decided. There’s no reason to keep it going, not even a day longer.”

— President Trump told reporters that he would rate his administration’s response to the coronavirus a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, The Hill reports.

“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves… We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Point of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself.”

— “President Trump told a group of governors Monday morning that they should not wait for the federal government to fill the growing demand for respirators needed to help people diagnosed with coronavirus,” the New York Times reports.

“It makes me very happy. I think that people in the market should be very thrilled.”

— President Trump, quoted by Barron’s after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to zero yesterday. Stock trading was halted this morning just seconds after the market opening.

“If I’m elected president, my Cabinet, my administration will look like the country. And I commit that I will in fact pick a woman to be vice president.”

— Joe Biden committed to picking a woman as his running mate if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination.

“If you’re healthy, you and your family, it’s a great time to go out and go to a local restaurant, likely you can get in easy. Let’s not hurt the working people in this country … go to your local pub.”

— Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), on Fox News, telling people to ignore the advice of public health experts.

“Our country is in a war-time scenario but we’re getting a Mar-a-Lago attitude from the federal government. We need testing, ventilators, surgical masks and we needed them weeks ago, when Trump was still calling this pandemic a hoax ….”

— New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, on Twitter.

“I don’t think so. The real issue is not the economic situation today… This is a unique situation. We are going to have a slowdown. Later in the year economic activity will pick up as we confront this virus.”

— Despite forecasting an economic slowdown, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told ABC News that he does not think the coronavirus pandemic will cause a recession.

“Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or unjustified acceptance that the fight is over, leading to unnecessary suffering and death.”

— World Health Organization officials said the spread of the coronavirus across more than 100 countries now qualifies as a global pandemic, confirming what many epidemiologists have been saying for weeks, the New York Times reports.

“Let’s shut this puppy down, and let’s move on and worry about November. This thing is decided. There’s no reason to keep it going, not even a day longer.”

— James Carville, on MSNBC, arguing Joe Biden has effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination.

Poetic Justice

— Rick Wilson

“The worst thing you can do is raise false expectations and then watch them get dashed – then, they begin to lose confidence in their leadership. So we should just tell the truth as best we know it, as best the scientists know it. We should let them speak.”

— Joe Biden, in an interview with NBC News.

“Breaking news: Congressman Massie has tested positive for being an asshole. He must be quarantined to prevent the spread of his massive stupidity.”

— Former Secretary of State John Kerry, on Twitter, in response to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) stalling House approval of the $2.2 trillion economic relief package.

— David Corn

“I just think these numbers right now are not relevant. Whether they’re bigger or smaller in the short term… the good thing about this bill is, the president is protecting these people.”

— Asked on CNBC about the record joblessness report, which totaled nearly 3.3 million people, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin downplayed the report.

Numerati

32%

Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis project total employment reductions of 47 million, which would translate to a 32.1% unemployment rate, CNBC reports.

100%

Many states have requested ventilators, face masks and other essential equipment from the federal emergency stockpile as their hospitals ramp up for the coronavirus pandemic, but only Florida has gotten 100 percent of what it asked for, the Washington Post reports.

71%

24% to 53%

53% to 34%