New reports confirm that Trump’s failure to prepare and delayed response contributed to severe supply shortages, making this crisis worse than it needed to be.

Trump failed to take decisive action early on and squandered nearly two months that could’ve been used to prevent supply shortages.

Associated Press: “As the first alarms sounded in early January that an outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China might ignite a global pandemic, the Trump administration squandered nearly two months that could have been used to bolster the federal stockpile of critically needed medical supplies and equipment. A review of federal purchasing contracts by The Associated Press shows federal agencies largely waited until mid-March to begin placing bulk orders of N95 respirator masks, mechanical ventilators and other equipment needed by front-line health care workers.”

An IG report confirmed that confusing guidance from the federal government has made severe supply shortages worse.

NBC News: “Government watchdog: Hospitals face severe shortages of medical gear, confusing guidance from government”

Trump has been more focused on his image and passing the buck for his failures than he is about mitigating the public health crisis at hand.

Washington Post: “Facing a global pandemic, Trump still seems to lurch from moment to moment, with his methods and messages each day disconnected from — and in some cases contradictory to — the ones just prior. The pattern reveals a commander in chief unsure of how to defeat the ‘silent enemy,’ as he has labeled it. Instead, Trump has focused on his self-image — claiming credit wherever he believes it is owed, attempting to project strength and decisiveness, settling scores with critics, boasting about the ratings of his televised news conferences, and striving to win the cable news and social media wars.”

Politico: “Trump administration tells states to step up as governors plead for aid”

Trump loves to act like he acted quickly to contain the virus by pointing to his travel restrictions on China. In reality, Trump’s travel restriction was too little, too late to be effective.

New York Times: “Since Chinese officials disclosed the outbreak of a mysterious pneumonia like illness to international health officials on New Year’s Eve, at least 430,000 people have arrived in the United States on direct flights from China, including nearly 40,000 in the two months after President Trump imposed restrictions on such travel, according to an analysis of data collected in both countries.”

Trump touted his small business loan program as “flawless” in helping Americans hurt by the outbreak, but the launch of the program was riddled with glitches and only created more confusion.

NBC News: “Thousands of applicants, zero loans: Trump’s small businesses lending program is a failure to launch”

Washington Post: “Small-business owners have reported delays in getting approved for loans without which they will close their doors, while others say they have been denied altogether by their lenders and do not understand why.”