Trump is declaring victory before this crisis is over. By shifting focus away from public health and toward quickly reopening the country, Trump risks making this crisis worse and putting more Americans in danger.

Trump is declaring “mission accomplished” while infection rates continue to rise across most of the country.

The Guardian: “Trump gives up on virus fight to focus on economic recovery – and re-election”

Associated Press: “Take the New York metropolitan area’s progress against the coronavirus out of the equation and the numbers show the rest of the U.S. is moving in the wrong direction, with the infection rate rising even as states move to lift their lockdowns, an Associated Press analysis found Tuesday. Scientists warn those numbers will only grow as governors and local officials across the country ease their stay-at-home restrictions and reopen businesses.”

Trump is boasting about his success responding to the pandemic as his own officials warn of continued supply shortages.

Politico: “President Donald Trump boasted on May 1 that his success in responding to the coronavirus pandemic has made ventilator, test kit and mask shortages a thing of the past, and that much of the country is ready to quickly send people back to work… But that same day, his own health and emergency management officials were privately warning that states were still experiencing shortages of masks, gowns and other medical gear, according to a recording of an interagency meeting between FEMA and HHS officials across the country, conducted by conference call, which was obtained by POLITICO.”

The crisis is far from over. Trump’s pivot toward focusing on reopening rather than public health puts lives at risk and could once again make this crisis worse than it needed to be.

Reuters: “U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his White House coronavirus task force would remain in place but with a focus on medical treatments and easing restrictions on businesses and social life and perhaps with different advisers. On Tuesday, Trump had said he planned to wind down the task force and replace it with ‘something in a different form’ as the country shifts into a new phase focusing on the aftermath of the outbreak.”

Axios: “The evidence is mounting that America is steamrolling toward a nightmarish failure to control the coronavirus. … The formal existence of a task force isn’t necessarily going to make or break the coronavirus response, but its dissolution is yet another sign that the administration is ready to move on — despite all of the indications that we’re not prepared.”