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Trump: "The past 9 months my administration has initiated the single-greatest mobilization in human history....no medical breakthrough...has ever been achieved this rapidly".
Already apparent this is a Trump victory lap for a vaccine that Pfizer says the US government played no role in developing. "As a result of Operation Warp Speed Pfizer announced that its China Virus Vaccine is 90% effective".
Trump: "Pfizer said it wasn't part of Warp Speed but that turned out to be an unfortunate misrepresentation...it was an unfortunate mistake that they made when they said that".
Trump appears to believe that because he's placed an order for some vaccines, that makes Pfizer part of Operation Warp Speed. Like me buying a bagel and thinking I own the bakery.
Trump: "We're ready to go. The vaccine will be distributed to front-line workers and the elderly...in a matter of weeks".
Trump: "We will dramatically reduce hospitalizations and deaths" by giving the vaccine to the elderly and vulnerable. Usual "more testing than anybody else" it claims.
Washington man contemplating his own golden years says he's taking action to ensure elderly Americans can enjoy their golden years.
Trump indicates he won't send vaccine to New York, slamming Cuomo. "We're ready to provide it as soon as they let us know that they'll let us use it".
Trump lying again about fatality rates. "We've performed significantly better than peer countries".
Hair dye appears to be in short supply at the White House. Either that, or the contrast on my TV is off.
Ventilators.
Not one word yet about spiraling rates of infection across the nation. "We think that it's going down...with the vaccine you'll see numbers going down very rapidly".
Trump hails strength of the stock market which is surging upon confirmation that he won't be in the White House after January 20th.
Trump: "A national lockdown costs the country $50 billion aa day....this administration will not be going to a lockdown. Whatever happens in the future, time will tell, but I can tell you this administration will not he going into a lockdown".
Trump: "This administration will not go, under any circumstances, into a lockdown". "It's a disease but we understand it very well", says a man who does not understand it at all.
So:
Pfizer...slammed.
Cuomo....slammed.
Recognition of Covid-19 reality....not in sight.
Concession....not evident.
Pfizer...slammed.
Cuomo....slammed.
Recognition of Covid-19 reality....not in sight.
Concession....not evident.
So we're now hearing from a scientist, a General, a Vice President (pro-tem) and then probably that's a wrap.
Fast reminder that @VP was supposed to be applying the Ambre Solaire on a Florida beach this week. Instead he's about to uncork the baby oil.
General with very broad shoulders and an enormous number of medals now outlining the military's approach to vaccine distribution.
Trump isn't the only one failing to concede at this press appearance. There's no concession on the part of anyone speaking that their efforts to deal with Covid-19 have been rejected by the electorate.
Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health now applying the baby oil.
My live analysis of this extraordinary White House event coming right after it ends on @LBCNews with @daviddomb11
Azar: "This process has been delivered only by science and data". Calls Cuomo's questions about the vaccine "unconscionable."
Is anyone gonna explain why Pfizer might have engaged in "misrepresentation" when they said the vaccine had nothing to do with Operation Warp Speed?
Mike Pence: "Grateful to have a few minutes today to commend the team of Operation Warp Speed" (which Pfizer says was uninvolved in the development of its vaccine).
