Ahead of Donald Trump’s fundraiser in Southampton, New York today, Democratic National Committee spokesperson Will Baskin-Gerwitz released the following statement:
“The invitation to today’s fundraiser promises Trump’s donors ‘the trip of a lifetime,’ but for most New Yorkers, that would be a trip back to the start of the year — before Trump failed to respond to the pandemic, before over 30,000 of their neighbors succumbed to COVID, and before more than a million lost their jobs. But no one can undo the damage he’s caused, so there’s only one trip that’s top of mind for working Americans: the one Trump will take in January when he finally leaves the White House for good.”
BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S FAILED PANDEMIC RESPONSE
Promise: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” [CNBC Interview, 1/22/20]
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Reality: After Trump wasted time ignoring his own advisors and downplaying the coronavirus pandemic, the United States leads the world with over 4.9 million cases and 160,000 deaths. New York alone has faced more than 424,000 cases and more than 32,000 deaths.
Promise: “We are marshalling the full power of the federal government and the private sector to protect the American people.” [Oval Office Address, 3/11/20]
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Reality: Even in the midst of a global pandemic, Trump and the Republican Party are attempting to overturn the Affordable Care Act — endangering health coverage for 607,000 New Yorkers and threatening protections for more than 8.6 million New Yorkers with preexisting conditions.
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Reality: Trump has still failed to provide states with adequate testing and PPE, as New Yorkers are forced to wait more than a week for test results. And even as experts warned of a coming pandemic, Trump sent record shipments of N95 masks overseas.
