Coronavirus Update: Pelosi Calls Out President Trump, Demands Truth In Scathing Open Letter
WASHINGTON (CBS SF) -- Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday issued a scathing, bullet-point criticism of President Trump's handling of the coronavirus crisis, saying Americans "must insist on the truth" in an open letter to her Democratic colleagues.
The letter was published on Speaker Pelosi's official website Tuesday evening as congress continues a partisan debate over the latest coronavirus aid package for U.S. citizens.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
The congressional representative from San Francisco opened the letter talking about the Easter holiday providing her "a time for deeper prayer and reflection" as she thought about the "unbearably sad time" Americans were currently sharing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, mourning the loss of loved ones, dealing with loss of work and income and the upending of life as we know it.
Pelosi went on to say that, in order to succeed in the overcoming the challenges presented by the coronavirus emergency, "we must insist on the truth, and we must act upon it!"
She then listed in unsparing terms what she saw as the President's failings on multiple fronts, from how he "dismantled the infrastructure handed to him which was meant to plan for and overcome a pandemic" to his ignoring warnings about the virus and telling "his most loyal followers that the pandemic was a hoax."
In her demand for the truth, Pelosi also focused on what the President has said about coronavirus testing in the last month.
"The truth is that we did not have proper testing available in March despite Trump repeatedly claiming that we did; and even now, we do not have adequate tests," the letter read, going on to list additional issues with personal protective equipment.
Pelosi noted that while the initial coronavirus relief bill passed the House on March 4 was focused on increasing testing in the U.S., "one month later, we do not have appropriate testing. The President continues to obfuscate, saying we have more testing than any other country in the world. The truth is that only 1 percent of Americans have been tested. The failure to test is central to the spread of the virus and its impact on those most vulnerable in our society."
Pelosi's harsh criticism of the President's handling of the outbreak contrasted with his eagerness to re-open the economy.
In closing the Speaker said, "if we are not working from the truth, more lives will be lost, economic hardship and suffering will be extended unnecessarily and our children will not be safe, happy and learning."
