Trump Back in Full Blame Game Mode: For His Campaign Base as Virus Pandemic Deepens

 Reporters are awful & unprofessional with “Fake News”

This story from Fact Check here and related here from Politico.

The Story: Trump said he removed Glenn Fine, the Pentagon’s Acting IG. That effectively prevents Mr. Fine from heading the pandemic relief spending oversight panel. Trump said Fine’s background was too partisan.

The Facts: Fine is a career Federal official who has worked under both parties for over 25 years. Fine became the DOJ IG in 2000 under Bill Clinton (started in 1995).

He served in that role until 2011, during both terms of George W. Bush. He then went into private practice for three years, then rejoined the Federal work force in 2015 under Obama. To date, he has been serving under Trump for three-and-a-half-years.

Story continues here with full details – and it also continues with their analysis of the recent WI primary election and that turn of events as well – check it out – a very good article.

Now, expanding Trump’s war on IG’s this Q&A segment from CNN report (April 6) coverage of the virus task force, plus a lot more there.

Trump's claims on the HHS IG report: Fox News correspondent Kristin Fisher asked the President about a recently released report from HHS Office of Inspector General which details challenges facing hospitals in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, including shortages of supplies and equipment, as well as prolonged wait times to get testing results? 

Trump shot back: “It's just wrong. Did I hear the word 'inspector general,' really? It's wrong.” 

FYI: The report was released by his own administration, yet Trump suggested the findings were politically motivated, asking the reporter:

“Well where did he come from, the inspector general? What's his name? So give me the name of the inspector general. Could politics be entered into that?”

The Facts: There's no evidence to suggest anything about the report is wrong, or that it was somehow politically motivated. 

The report was independently launched by the HHS IG and based on interviews conducted between March 23 and 27 with administrators at more than 300 hospitals across 46 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. The report found hospitals faced testing shortages and longer than usual wait times for coronavirus test results.

The report's findings of shortages at key hospitals also corroborated previous press reports from hospitals in New York and elsewhere, which are facing severe shortages of vital medical equipment. According to the HHS report, its purpose is to provide a snapshot of hospitals' experiences amid a growing number of coronavirus cases and doesn't serve as a review of the department's response to the outbreak.

The senior HHS IG officials who oversaw this watchdog report are both women: Ann Maxwell, the assistant IG for evaluation and inspections, and Christi Grimm, the principal deputy IG. Grimm, whose name is on the report, is a career official who entered her current role in January but has been with HHS since 1999, serving under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

My 2 cents: Trump gets rid of Mr. Fine calling him “too partisan” which the record clearly shows that Fine is not and noted above.

B/L: Trump should know Fine’s record and reputation and probably does. I therefore surmise that Trump is scared to allow him to watch over the virus relief spending bill because Fine is very efficient. Also, it is very likely that Trump probably will abuse the rules and therefore wants someone in who will look the other way. 

That is my gut feeling based on Trump’s past performance on this kind of spending matters of money that Congress has authorized and appropriated.

Trump always seems to act like the money is his to do as he wishes and NOT that which it is needed. We shall see about that with this virus relief money and how Trump will act, or react.

I still say that Trump is in way in over his head and incorrigible – a horrible man and awful president beyond words. This view is NOT a partisan’s view, either. It is based on his record to date not even counting his over 16,200 documented lies – which is unheard for any president ever in American history by any standard.

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