Mike Bloomberg's Statement on Coronavirus Outbreak

Unlike President Trump, Mike will be a steady leader in times of crisis

NEW YORK — Today, as the CDC outlined pandemic planning in the wake of the global coronavirus outbreak, Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg released the following statement:

"The easiest way to determine whether a president is a competent leader – or a danger to the American people – is to see what he or she does when faced with a crisis. President Trump was briefed on Coronavirus two months ago, but buried his head in the sand as people around the world were dying, and responded only after seeing the TV coverage of yesterday's stock market plunge. And his failure to take steps to prepare for a pandemic is crippling our ability to respond.

"He has slashed funding of the CDC and other essential health agencies, eliminated the entire White House chain of command tasked with coordinating the government's response to pandemics, and waged a war on science and the people who keep us safe and informed from the moment he took the oath of office.

"Now, with the coronavirus at our doorstep, he wants to set up a task force and is asking for billions of dollars to do it. He's not leading, he's reacting. And his incompetence is putting us all at risk.

"In times like this, we need calm, proven leadership in the White House — someone who has led during a crisis, believes in science, invests in prevention and preparation, and listens to advisors, scientists, and public health officials.

"We need someone who understands that the United States government is responsible both for keeping Americans safe from a pandemic like this — to help lead the global response to combat it. And we need a president who will make protecting the health of the American people their number one priority at all times – not just when a cable news host or the stock market tells them to.

"As president, I will strengthen the public health infrastructure designed to keep us safe, and make the long-term public health investments we need to prevent the spread of future global pandemics like this."

Additional Background

• Mike has an outstanding track record on public health spanning from his tenure as mayor of New York City to his philanthropic philanthropic investments in global health. As mayor, Mike led the city of New York through anthrax attacks, the swine flu outbreak in 2009, and the West Nile Virus in 2012.
• Mike knows that being prepared for new pandemics requires long-term investment in public health. As president, Mike will make protecting Americans against pandemics a top priority. He will work with the WHO and allies to build public health infrastructure around the world. He will also support our scientists, fully fund the CDC and USAID to conduct health initiatives at home and abroad, and double the National Institutes of Health research funding.