Political Quotes

“I sat at this very desk 2 months ago during the impeachment trial, where I read news, oftentimes from East Asian sources, about a viral pneumonia from an unknown virus emerging from central China. From those earliest days, I began calling for drastic measures to prevent this virus from reaching our shores and to prepare for its potential arrival. I cannot claim any special expertise. I am not a doctor. I am not a scientist. I am not an epidemiologist. But I could tell from the very beginning that the Chinese Communist Party was lying about everything related to this virus, and that we had to be prepared for the worst. That is why in January I called for a travel ban from mainland China. That is why in February I began to call for crash approvals of laboratory-developed testing kits or the use of the kind of testing kits the World Health Organization approved or that South Korea has been using. That is why I urged a Manhattan Project level of investment in rapid testing and approval for therapeutic products and vaccines. That travel ban and some other measures taken has bought us some time, but our hour of great national testing has arrived. The moment of decision is upon us. The time has come for extraordinary measures. Look at what has happened to Italy just over the last 2 weeks. Two weeks ago, Italians were enjoying early spring weather, sipping coffee and wine in restaurants and bars--just 2 weeks ago.…”