Pence Will Control All Coronavirus Messaging From Health Officials

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/us/politics/us-coronavirus-pence.html

Government health officials and scientists will have to clear statements with the vice president’s office, one of three people designated as the administration’s primary coronavirus official.

By Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman
Feb. 27, 2020 Updated 12:49 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON — The White House moved on Thursday to tighten control of coronavirus messaging by government health officials and scientists, directing them to clear all statements and public appearance with the office of Vice President Mike Pence, according to several officials familiar with the new approach.

President Trump announced Wednesday evening that Mr. Pence would coordinate the government’s response to the public health threat even as he played down the immediate danger from the virus that is spreading rapidly across the globe. Mr. Pence was scheduled to lead a meeting of the government’s coronavirus task force on Thursday.

<snip>

The vice president’s first move appeared to be aimed at preventing the kind of contradictory statements from White House officials and top government health officials that have plagued the administration’s response. Even during his news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Trump rejected the assessment from a top health official that it was inevitable that the coronavirus would spread more broadly inside the United States.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, one of the country’s leading experts on viruses and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases, told associates that the White House had instructed him not to say anything else without clearance.

</snip>

[PJMcK]

1. Oh, goodie!

I feel so much more secure now.

(snark, of course)

[madaboutharry]

2. Pence is there to cover up anything that is true.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. You said it man, right on the nailhead. A coverup is underway now as we speak. Speaks of ...

more dangerous times ahead.

[FoxNewsSucks]

7. My first thought also,

Mullah Pence isn't there to actually do anything other than control messaging, and cover up how bad things might actually be.

[Nay]

29. And how does this make us any different from China? nt

[musette_sf]

20. Yep.

If you want a good liar, get a Talibangelical.

[Turbineguy]

4. Commissar Pence

[IcyPeas]

6. vice president of propaganda

Link to tweet

[dixiegrrrrl]

25. Jared was too busy? n/t

[Sanity Claws]

8. The states, I hope, will report the information

Seems they will clamp down on national level sent to CDC but the states can work around them, I hope.

[procon]

9. Pence is the political officer in charge of getting Trump's

propaganda happy talk to take precedent over the science and medical experts information. People will die because these fools don't want to take any responsibility to safeguard the country because admitting a serious and deadly crisis is at our doorstep will make Trump look bad and affect his re-election prospects.

The Big Lie has become Trump's stock and trade, but this time people will actually die because of Trump's blunders.

[mr_lebowski]

10. Someone needs to catch Trump on video or at least tape saying something completely horrifying ...

Cause you KNOW he's saying all kinds of dastardly shit right now.

Not only is he (I'm sure) freaked out about the Markets, and about the economy going south and him losing the election, but he's also (reportedly) a germophobe as well so he's probably terrified he'll catch it himself.

Someone needs to catch a rant on tape where he says something like "I don't give a FUCK who else dies, but *I* don't want to catch it!"

and/or

"Who cares about sick people, we can't have the markets tank! It'll kill us in November!"

And then that needs to go onto EVERY news program, into every paper, etc.

[lame54]

14. Germaphobes don't raw dog porn stars - another lie...

He just doesn't want to shake hands with insignificant people

[mr_lebowski]

17. Phobia's don't necessarily work like that ...

They can be highly individualized ... they're things we categorize into broad terms but don't manifest identically in all individuals who can be said to suffer from them.

You could be a germophobe who's terrified of touching surfaces but doesn't think much about what they're eating (or sticking their dick in) for example. Maybe he imagines condoms are likely to have more germs than vaginas.

These things aren't really rational to begin with, so anything is possible.

I have no trouble believing he has some manifestations of what an expert would call 'germophobia'

[lame54]

21. But Trump does work like that - lie lie lie...

I don't buy that he doesn't drink bullshit either

[mr_lebowski]

23. True, but just because someone's a serial fabricator doesn't mean they lie 100% of the time

And why drink if you can get loaded on top-notch pharmaceuticals whenever you want?

Seems like it's pretty well-established he's specifically paranoid about catching illnesses from people ... could be his phobia is about colds and flu and not about syphilis and the clap and such.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/07/donald-trump-germaphobe-1399258

Plus some people can suddenly overcome their phobias when they want something badly enough. Like, well, you know ...

Phobias are odd and inherently nebulous afflictions.

ANYWAYS, the point is ... I bet he's saying particularly horrible shit right now, REGARDLESS of whether the germophobe thing is a big act. Someone needs to catch him doing it.

[lame54]

24. It's not established - it's just believed for some bizarre reason

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. Damn...guess he won't be doing any more rallies?

Pls pls pls let him do rallies....pleasssssssssse

[dixiegrrrrl]

28. Who sez prayers don't work??

"Trump has a MAGA rally scheduled for Friday night in SC to mess with Dems logistics. "

[lame54]

11. Except from the true patriots

[EleanorR]

12. So he's there to keep trump from throwing a tantrum, not to keep the public informed and safe

It's all about trump's re-election, even if people suffer and die. How anyone voted for this monster is beyond me.

[duforsure]

13. Which really means...

trumps gotten pence to prevent the truth from exposing them , and whats really going on. That's why trump appointed him , it was too promote trumps propaganda and prevent the truth from getting out. This is preventing the medical officials from speaking on the subject now, which when they did pissed off trump because it wasn't what he wanted out . trumps promoting lies , just like he's always done.

[greenjar_01]

15. These assholes think everything is messaging

Ironically, the conservatives are the most pomo of all.

Like Rick Wilson said regarding Trump's nonsense last night, "The virus doesn't follow him on Twitter."

[marble falls]

16. So we're getting a prayer based response. We don't even have a prayer's chance.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

18. He just made his first announcement. Let's all watch the video:

Wow, am I reassured.

Over-Enthusiastic North Korea TV Anchor Announces Rocket Launch
1,090,693 views•Dec 12, 2012

LeakSourceNews
10K subscribers

12/12/2012

According to ITV, the anchor says, "The second version of the satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 successfully lifted off from the Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County, by carrier rocket Unha-3 on Wednesday. The satellite successfully entered its preset orbit."

http://LeakSource.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/LeakSourceNews

.
.
.

To be fair, I can't think of a single administration under which I'd trust the White House to filter CDC/NIH information about a pandemic. But this time is particularly bad to a dark humor extent.

Link to tweet

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

19. Soooo, praying to Mammon to make it go away is the strategy? nt

[MoonlitKnight]

22. Pence is the new Iraqi Information Minister

[link:|

[smb]

27. Donnie Dumbass...

...thinks he can hide the impact of the "caronavirus" like his doctor hid the veggies in his mashed potatoes.

[defacto7]

30. That's what he thinks.

[smirkymonkey]

31. Wonderful.

I'm so glad we have the top medical mind in the nation on top of this this thing.

We can now all sleep peacefully at night.

[beachbumbob]

32. what could possibly go wrong I wonder?