Trump sent scarce COVID-19 tests to Putin for his own personal use

[fantome profane]

I am no fan of Putin or Trump, but I think the latter did a good thing. We have major differences, but I think this was a nice thing to do.

Like with many things the timing is important. When people working in American hospitals cannot get their hands on these tests, that is not the time to be sending them over to a brutal dictator.

The COVID-19 testing challenge

Why it’s so hard to overcome testing shortages in the United States

www.reuters.com

 

[Regiomontanus]

Like with many things the timing is important. When people working in American hospitals cannot get their hands on these tests, that is not the time to be sending them over to a brutal dictator.

The COVID-19 testing challenge

Why it’s so hard to overcome testing shortages in the United States

www.reuters.com

By brutal dictator, you mean Putin, yes?

Seriously, you make a good point. All I am saying is that at the end of the day I think it is good policy to treat even bad leaders (especially ones who control nuclear weapons) like human beings. We have to get along, else we are ****ed.

 

[fantome profane]

By brutal dictator, you mean Putin, yes?

Seriously, you make a good point. All I am saying is that at the end of the day I think it is good policy to treat even bad leaders (especially ones who control nuclear weapons) like human beings. We have to get along, else we are ****ed.

History also teaches us just how quickly and thoroughly we can be asterisked if we appease dictators.

 

[crossfire]

Exactly. I'd be more concerned if he were shipping him toilet paper in 2020, honestly. Lol.

I wouldn't have cared even if he sent them to Kim Jung Un

 

[F1fan]

By brutal dictator, you mean Putin, yes?

Seriously, you make a good point. All I am saying is that at the end of the day I think it is good policy to treat even bad leaders (especially ones who control nuclear weapons) like human beings. We have to get along, else we are ****ed.

If that good will pays off. It doesn’t with Putin. And Trump’s acts are especially troubling given his strong “America first” rhetoric.

If we had a surplus, sure. But that wasn’t the case at all. Even if it was just a case of 50 tests it’s the principle of a dictator being given a chance to test that citizens didn’t benefit from.

 

[Regiomontanus]

If that good will pays off. It doesn’t with Putin. And Trump’s acts are especially troubling given his strong “America first” rhetoric.

If we had a surplus, sure. But that wasn’t the case at all. Even if it was just a case of 50 tests it’s the principle of a dictator being given a chance to test that citizens didn’t benefit

Sure, but the number of tests given to Putin was pretty small in comparison to the American population.

 

[PureX]

Bob Woodward's new book, "War," being published next week, reveals that in the darkest hour in 2020, when there was no vaccine and most people in the world (including the U.S.) could not obtain covid tests, Donald Trump sent priceless tests to Vladimir Putin for personal use. And both Putin and Trump took pains to prevent fallout. Putin cautioned Trump not to reveal that he dispatched the scarce equipment to Moscow, “I didn't want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. I don't want you to tell anybody.” And Trump, of course, didn't.

I actually think this was an excellent thing for Trump to have done. Though he should have been willing to do so for other world leaders as well if they were in need of them.

And I agree with keeping quiet about it , too. Mostly because people are stupid and selfish, especially when they're frightened, and would very likely have made a big useless stink over it as a result.

But it was just the kind of personal gesture of kindness and inclusion that I would want the leader of my country to offer to the other national leaders of the world in a time of trouble. ESPECIALLY to those leaders with whom we are experiencing some antipathy.

 

[F1fan]

Sure, but the number of tests given to Putin was pretty small in comparison to the American population.

This is the sort of attitude I have a problem with. Have you ever heard the story about a little girl who’s walking along the beach and sees thousands and thousands of dying starfish on the beach and she starts picking them up one by one and throwing them back into the ocean. And a bystander says to the girl you’ll never save all of them. Why does it matter? and she pick one up and threw it into the ocean and she said it mattered to that one.

We have to see how everyone is owed dignity and aren’t just numbers.

 

[Kathryn]

I traveled many times during COVID and never had an issue being tested. Did anyone else? Even in 2020 for that matter.

 

[Watchmen]

This seems to be a lame attempt to discredit all
criticism of Trump, ie, that it could be a lie.

Is the same true of Harris, ie, that Maga criticism
of her could all be lies, & therefore dismissed?

I'm not discrediting . . . I'm saying let's see what the evidence says . . . let's check the source and the source's credibility. And, of course the same is true of Harris! There is no dismissing of criticism . . . the focus is on determining whether the criticism is valid.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm not discrediting . . . I'm saying let's see what the evidence says . . . let's check the source and the source's credibility. And, of course the same is true of Harris! There is no dismissing of criticism . . . the focus is on determining whether the criticism is valid.

Should Trump's claims also be subjected
to checking for evidence?

 

[Pogo]

I traveled many times during COVID and never had an issue being tested. Did anyone else? Even in 2020 for that matter.

Yup had to get tested regularly at the beginning as I was delivering meals to shut in elderly and quarantined, and had to be tested before going to any regular doctors appointments. You had to sign up for a limited number of slots available each day and turnaround was 3 days for the test until many more labs were set up and validated for the tests. We fortunately had a high volume veterinary PCR testing lab that did virus tests on animals that covered several states and that was shut down and converted to Covid testing so we soon had 24 hour turn around but many test sites had to ship samples 100s of miles.

Again, you got lucky but that was certainly not the experience of everyone. At one point I had to use my phone to log into my county hospital records to prove I had a negative test when I went for a procedure in another county and the records hadn't caught up yet due to backlogs.

 

[Pogo]

I'm not discrediting . . . I'm saying let's see what the evidence says . . . let's check the source and the source's credibility. And, of course the same is true of Harris! There is no dismissing of criticism . . . the focus is on determining whether the criticism is valid.

We have serial liar Trump on one side and

Yes Trump sent them

Now a little bit of clarification, some of the reports are probably somewhat confused, Russia no doubt had machines to do the testing, what they did not have was the necessary standards and protocols for the labs unless it was the in-home tests which are marginally machines in the broadest sense in which case, why sent valuable rapid tests that were in very limited supply to Russia who had the ability to regular tests by that time in which case we were giving preferential treatment to an adversary to what purpose?

Interestingly, The Kremlin must have a pre-release copy it seems since their description seems to align so closely with Woodward's or maybe Woodward is a Russian plant, we will have to wait and see.
.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence but this is an ordinary claim.

 

[Watchmen]

Should Trump's claims also be subjected
to checking for evidence?

Of course! You seem to think I'm some Trump loving, Harris hating extremist. I'm actually a moderate who seeks evidence and standards from the candidates themselves and their critics.

 

[Kathryn]

Yup had to get tested regularly at the beginning as I was delivering meals to shut in elderly and quarantined, and had to be tested before going to any regular doctors appointments. You had to sign up for a limited number of slots available each day and turnaround was 3 days for the test until many more labs were set up and validated for the tests. We fortunately had a high volume veterinary PCR testing lab that did virus tests on animals that covered several states and that was shut down and converted to Covid testing so we soon had 24 hour turn around but many test sites had to ship samples 100s of miles.

Again, you got lucky but that was certainly not the experience of everyone. At one point I had to use my phone to log into my county hospital records to prove I had a negative test when I went for a procedure in another county and the records hadn't caught up yet due to backlogs.

Yeah I guess I was just lucky.

 

[Watchmen]

We have serial liar Trump on one side and

Yes Trump sent them

Now a little bit of clarification, some of the reports are probably somewhat confused, Russia no doubt had machines to do the testing, what they did not have was the necessary standards and protocols for the labs unless it was the in-home tests which are marginally machines in the broadest sense in which case, why sent valuable rapid tests that were in very limited supply to Russia who had the ability to regular tests by that time in which case we were giving preferential treatment to an adversary to what purpose?

Interestingly, The Kremlin must have a pre-release copy it seems since their description seems to align so closely with Woodward's or maybe Woodward is a Russian plant, we will have to wait and see.
.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence but this is an ordinary claim.

Wonderful! More evidence and corroboration! That's what I like to see! Thank you.

 

[Revoltingest]

Of course! You seem to think I'm some Trump loving, Harris hating extremist. I'm actually a moderate who seeks evidence and standards from the candidates themselves and their critics.

OK.