US Surgeon General Jerome Adams appeared on Fox News Sunday as well as NBC’s Meet The Press this Sunday morning with a warning to the public. According to Adams, this upcoming week may be the "hardest and the saddest" for many Americans yet as the country struggles to face the novel coronavirus pandemic amid low supplies, overworked hospitals, and inconsistent messages from our government. “This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s not going to be localized," Adams told Fox News viewers. “It’s going to be happening all over the country. And I want America to understand that,” he added.
He came short, however, of directing governors who have not yet issued a stay at home order to do so. Adams also did not ask for a national stay at home directive. Instead, he asked of those Republican governors, “give us what you can,” bargaining for a week if “you can’t give us a month” while on Meet the Press. Of course, governors can, and should, “give” a month—and more. And these messages would have been helpful at any point earlier, but are a better wake up call now than never.
In speaking to hold-out governors on NBC, Adams invoked national tragedies once again. “The next week is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, it’s going to be our 9/11 moment,” he told viewers. “It’s going to be the hardest moment for many Americans in their entire lives. And we really need to understand that if we want to flatten that curve and get through to the other side, everyone needs to do their part.”
Here are those clips… Including a moment where, on Fox, Adams mentions more people will die from “cigarette smoking in this country” than the coronavirus.
Given that more than 300,000 cases have been confirmed across the nation, as well as over 8,000 deaths, Fox News viewers in particular probably need a reminder. After all, as Daily Kos previously covered, less than a month ago barely over one-quarter of Republicans believed the coronavirus would change daily life in a major way. Similarly, according to a recent poll, only 21% of Republicans were worried about a local outbreak. Less than 20% of polled Republicans believe the government moved too slowly in responding to the pandemic.
That’s not to mention the number of religious leaders openly encouraging people to forego social distancing recommendations and come to service anyway. One pastor from a Florida megachurch was actually arrested over a state order violation because too many people came to service. The CDC and WHO have been abundantly clear—stay home when and if you can, wash your hands, and don’t get together with friends, family members, or community members you don’t already live with. Still, with dismissive messages from the president and others in power, the general public has been confused. While it’s long past the time people should have started taking this public health crisis seriously, taking preventative measures and making smarter, safer choices now is better than never.
And Trump? On Saturday afternoon, Donald Trump suggested that “there will be a lot of death” to come as the nation struggles to face the novel coronavirus pandemic. Of course, that’s a far cry from just two weeks ago, when he hypothesized the country would be running as normal again by Easter Sunday. Just three weeks ago, Trump suggested, “it will go away.”
“We want everyone to understand you've got to be Rosie The Riveter... You've got to do your part,” Adams stressed on Meet the Press. "As hard as this week is going to be, there is a light at the end of the tunnel if everyone does their part for the next 30 days," Adams added on Fox. The easiest way to do your part? Stay home.