Trump's Coronavirus Speech Sparks 'Total Chaos' in His Own Administration

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-coronavirus-oval-office-speech-on-europe-travel-ban-sparks-total-chaos-in-his-own-administration

U.S. officials overseas didn’t even know if they were allowed home and got little clarity from the president’s team after his new policy was unveiled.

Asawin Suebsaeng
White House Reporter

Erin Banco
National Security Reporter

Updated Mar. 12, 2020 6:02PM ET / Published Mar. 12, 2020 5:38PM ET

President Donald Trump’s Oval Office address Wednesday evening was supposed to calm concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. Instead, it sparked panic and confusion. Not just among the markets, U.S. travelers, and international leaders but within his own administration, as well.

Two officials in the U.S. State Department told The Daily Beast that foreign service officers and diplomats were unprepared for the president’s announcement and spent the early hours of Thursday scrambling to figure out how their work and travel would be impacted in the short term.

“It is just total chaos,” said one official currently abroad, adding that they did not know if they would have to return to the U.S. immediately or if they would need to quarantine for two weeks upon arriving. Diplomats and other U.S. staff overseas did not know if they’d be able to even visit their families back in the States, and frantically searched for answers that weren’t immediately available from Foggy Bottom or the West Wing.

“I’m used to it with this administration that we wouldn’t know anything until the morning after. But now basically a full work day later? That’s surprising even for these times.”
— U.S. official

In his Oval Office address Wednesday night, President Trump announced that he was banning travel from Europe to the U.S. but did not specify the details of how that plan would be rolled out and if Americans could still travel to the region. He also did not give European officials a heads up, saying the situation required him to move with haste.

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[mchill]

1. In my mind I pictured Trump making up

this policy right before he went on the air. Gotta say something that I will do but don’t want to make Boris unhappy. Hey Jared, quick, give me an idea so I can get praise for it on my next speech.”

[leftieNanner]

5. Apparently Jared and Stephen wrote the speech

So what he said was "thought out" and "planned".

Wow.

Plus he didn't want to keep people from going to his golf courses in the UK now, did he?

[mchill]

7. Of course, that's it!

His golf courses.

[leftieNanner]

9. Although, Ireland is technically in the EU

So Doonbeg is off limits? Or is it only Continental Europe?

SMDH

[nature-lover]

2. No time. He had to get the speech done before the drugs wore off.

[louis-t]

3. He would leave them all out to dry.

Because he's a piece of shit.

[dweller]

4. yeh? welcome to our world

you can travel in the cargo hold?

✌🏼

[captain queeg]

6. Keep talking dumbass.

Soon the rich rethugs are going to get tired of winning. They are losing billions every time that jack ass brays. Maybe they’ll be the ones to impeach him. Wouldn’t that be hilarious?

[UpInArms]

8. So ... did he order the airspace closed

How is that supposed to work?

Are all the planes grounded?

[Grokenstein]

10. "Clarification"

This only hits non-US citizens. In other words, American airlines' flights to/from Europe aren't grounded, but non-US citizens won't be allowed into the US from those listed origins.

It's the Muslim ban rewritten to hurt the EU.
Ivanka is avenged!!!

[Squinch]

11. What a fuck-head.