Trump wants to reopen the economy as quickly as possible so it would be nice if we had detailed guidelines for doing so, right?
Yes, but not too detailed.
The New York Times reported this morning that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) produced a detailed 17-page guide for reopening most businesses, but the White House is burying the guide because it's too specific.
The White House has asked for revisions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose public health experts wrote the guidance, but some officials at the C.D.C. have privately expressed concern that the recommendations will never be posted publicly.
In a senior staff meeting at the White House last week, Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, expressed concern that the guidelines were “overly prescriptive,” according to a person familiar with the discussion. Mr. Meadows’ concern, the official said, was that the guidelines were too uniform and regressive for places with minimal numbers of cases.
A copy of the guidance obtained by The New York Times includes sections dealing with child care programs, schools and day camps, communities of faith, employers with vulnerable workers, restaurants and bars, and mass transit administrators.
What this means is the federal government will never release a detailed guide for reopening or at least won't do so before most states have already taken their own steps.
Trump does not want to be blamed if the federal government's guidelines are too weak or too strong so he simply won't release any. It's the same strategy he has employed regarding tests and personal protective equipment. The plan is that there is no plan. Trump can't be held accountable for plans he never made.
Every time Trump steps in front of cameras to congratulate himself for doing such a 'great job,' he should be reminded that he has done virtually nothing.
But you know what? I feel at least a little bit of caution when implying that Trump should do something because it usually doesn't turn out well when he does. Maybe it's best if he does nothing.
Maybe electing a reality TV host who bankrupted his casinos was a bad idea.