It’s no secret that President Trump wants schools open in the fall (note that the 428,000+ likes on this tweet make it one of his most popular):
SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
And this morning the president threatened to withhold funding to states if schools aren’t open:
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
He also said he will meet with the CDC over its “very impractical” guidelines:
I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
The president appears to be referring to this tweet yesterday from CDC Director Robert Redfield which listed the guidelines:
Teachers and School Staff: Once your school reopens, maintain a healthy environment:
– Clean & disinfect frequently touched surfaces
– Space seating/desks at least 6 feet apart
– Creating “one-way routes”
– Close communal use shared spaces
More tips: https://t.co/KNOieQSBNW pic.twitter.com/aIX8fwN04z— Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) July 7, 2020
That tweet from the CDC director did not go over well with many, to put it mildly:
Hey, @cdcdirector, why are you pushing this viral theater when kids are at ~0 risk? The spacing guidelines are unrealistic and will force many schools, especially urban ones, to operate with rotating classes. https://t.co/s5zIFGjbYt
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) July 8, 2020
The Federalist’s Sean Davis says the president should have fired Redfield and Dr. Tony Fauci “months ago”:
Trump should have fired this buffoon, along with Fauci, months ago. The flu is significantly more dangerous for children than the coronavirus. https://t.co/mxeLWraNb6
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 8, 2020
But, as of this morning, the Trump campaign is actually promoting what Dr. Fauci said in front of Congress this week on the importance of opening schools:
Experts agree – it's time to reopen the schools!
Dr. Fauci: “It is very important to get children back to school for the unintended negative consequences that occur when we keep them out of school.” pic.twitter.com/CewpxPNFze
— Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) July 8, 2020
And we’ll also note how difficult messaging is going to be on all of this. For example, President Trump told Greta van Susteren that he’s now “flexible” on a full convention in Jacksonville, FL in late August:
Trump to @greta: "When we signed in Jacksonville, we wanted to be in North Carolina. That almost worked out, but the governor didn’t want to have people use the arena, essentially. And so I said, ‘Too bad for North Carolina.'" Now: "We're very flexible." https://t.co/gJ1ptXCFww
— Brian Murphy (@MurphinDC) July 8, 2020
But late August is also when schools are set to open in the state. If this prediction that things will start looking better in the next two to four weeks, it’s not looking good for either schools or the full convention the president wants:
Trump tells @greta of coronavirus Tuesday: "We are going to be in two, three, four weeks, by the time we next speak, I think we're going to be in very good shape."
Also on Tuesday, the U.S. for the first time reported a daily record of >60,000 new cases. https://t.co/fuKJoGmEy7
— Quint Forgey (@QuintForgey) July 8, 2020
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