Testing: Don't Hold Your Breath

Does Donald Trump believe in anything? Maybe self-aggrandizement. Maybe nationalist populism. Maybe white supremacy. I dunno. But now we know: he doesn't believe in testing, or masks, or vaccines.

Yesterday was a bad day for testing with Trump. We learned that Katie Miller, press secretary to Mike Pence and spouse of administration ghoul Stephen Miller, tested positive for the coronavirus. That makes at least 13 White House personnel, including 11 Secret Service agents and a military valet, who have tested positive. Asked about Miller, Trump offered this nugget of wisdom.

Katie, she tested very good for a long period of time and then all of the sudden today she tested positive... This is why the whole concept of tests aren’t necessarily great.

It's almost like he holds the person accountable for the test, as if Miller was batting .370 but fell into a little slump. 

The stupidity is willful. It's hard to tell whether it's intentional or not, but it's willful. The one thing we need in order to restore some semblance or normalcy and economic recovery is to know where the virus is thriving. We won't get that with Trump, who has already said testing makes us look bad. 

It was a bad day for vaccines too. Our great leader again:

I feel about vaccines like I feel about tests. This is going to go away without a vaccine, it's gonna go away, and we're not going to see it again, hopefully, after a period of time. You may have some flare-ups.

Also bad for masks. It's willful stupidity that leads Trump to visit with World War II vets sans mask. Let's repeat that: with WWII vets. Here's his logic, per the Daily Beast story:

[H]e was “very far away from them” and “they’re so pure, it will never happen.” “I would have loved to have gone up and hugged them because they are great. I had a conversation with everyone, but we were very far away. You saw,” Trump said during a meeting with GOP members of Congress. “Plus the wind was blowing so hard in such a direction that if the plague ever reached them, I’d be very surprised.”

These elderly heroes are "so pure" they can't get sick and die. Y'all.

But wait for it. Asked about the mask-free zone for elderly vets, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “They made the choice to come here.”

Washington Post reporter James Hohmann reveals the fundamental hypocrisy surrounding masks in the Trump camp.

Brad Parscale brought 5 prototype masks featuring the Trump reelection logo to a Thursday mtg with POTUS. Trump was delighted & approved a mask for public sale. Parscale tweeted a pic of himself wearing it. This was the only time anyone involved in the meeting wore any covering.

Masks for sale! Only we don't wear them. 

No testing. No vaccine. No masks. No good. And no protest from elected Republicans.

What do Republicans care about? Welp, they're sinking $20 million in an effort to fight voting rights lawsuits.