President Donald Trump’s effort to censor the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in a scheme to re-open the country too early without proper guidelines drew backlash on the Senate floor Wednesday from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Second waves of the virus are already forcing three red states to consider going back into lockdown as the coronavirus continues to spread and drive up the death toll, which now stands at more than 83,000 Americans.

Many states, unfortunately, are re-opening early without CDC guidelines to help them re-open properly and safely, and that’s because the Trump administration buried those guidelines because Trump wants the economy to re-open quickly regardless of whether more lives are lost.

On Wednesday, Schumer responded to this recklessness by slamming Trump and reminding the country that Trump is not a doctor and has no medical expertise.

“Last week, Americans learned that the Trump White House had blocked release by the Centers for Disease Control of a document that contained guidance for safely reopening up the country,” Schumer explained. “Making the wrong decision about when, where and how to reopen could result in loss of precious life that could be otherwise saved and in the occurrence of a COVID second wave that, God forbid, could be worse than the first.”

“The country needs the guidance of the nation’s best medical and scientific experts,” Schumer continued. “But the White House has blocked the release of the CDC guidance reportedly so the president and his political appointees can make changes to it.”

Schumer then noted that Americans should take advice from the experts at the CDC instead of from Trump, who pushed disinfectants such as bleach as a treatment for the virus.

“As we all know, the president is not a doctor,” he said. “The president is not a scientist. Many don’t even believe he’s a stable genius like he thinks he is. It has become painfully clear over the last two months how unfamiliar he is with the disciplines of science and medicine. Anyone who would say, ‘Drink bleach — use bleach to protect yourself,’ is not much of a medical expert.”

Here’s the video via YouTube:

The CDC is working to save lives while Trump is clearly working against that goal for the sake of the economy. Americans should never be sacrificed for economic gain. But that’s what Trump is doing, and Schumer was right to call him out for it.

 

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