Ahead of Donald Trump’s arrival in Morrisville this afternoon, North Carolina Democrats slammed the president over his disastrous handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic downturn.

NCDP Chairman Wayne Goodwin called out Trump’s refusal to believe in science and his push to reopen schools without health guidelines in place. Senator Jay Chaudhuri criticized the president’s harsh immigration policies that prevent the U.S. from attracting the best minds around the world — including scientists who could assist in the development of a vaccine and coronavirus treatments. Former State Representative and Congressional candidate Deborah Ross discussed the need for more action from Republicans in Congress and addressed how the president’s failed leadership in Washington is holding back North Carolina’s families and small businesses.

Highlights from the call: 

NCDP Chairman Wayne Goodwin

• In many ways, for every step forward we’ve taken, the Trump administration takes two steps back. Every other developed country in the entire world has managed to limit the spread of the virus while the United States continues to see infections rise and rise by tens of thousands a day.
• Even as new hot spots emerge, we don’t see a comprehensive testing strategy from the White House; we do not see a plan to strengthen the PPE pipeline; and most observers see little hope for more federal aid to our small business community even while unemployment remains at record highs in many states.
• Now, as we prepare for the beginning of the new school year, Donald Trump’s plan for reopening our schools seems to be throwing caution to the wind and hoping for the best. Just last week the President said he wanted schools to be “100% open” without providing a framework that would help schools ensure the health and safety of their students.
• This kind of haphazard approach is exactly what has made this pandemic so devastating to our public health and our economy over the last 4 months — Donald Trump is simply unwilling or unable to take the situation seriously, and the American people are indeed paying the price.
• President Trump is a hypocrite; he does not believe in science or medicine, and here he is showing up for this photo op. He doesn’t wear a mask, he doesn’t care about public health — it’s all about politics.

Senator Jay Chaudhuri

• As a father of two young children who are preparing to go back to public schools, I am very concerned about the lack of support that we are receiving from this administration to make sure that our children and our teachers feel safe.
• Like so many of you on this call, we want to return back to normal. But we believe that President Trump, in his approach, does not take the proper steps to return life back to normal. He doesn’t understand what we need to do to get the virus under control.
• If anyone thinks that the virus is under control, they’re simply not paying attention.
• Wake County has become one of the hotspots in the south for the virus, and even now four months after the pandemic began, I’ve spoken to many medical physicians who have talked about the fact that they do not have enough PPE and supplies to effectively do their jobs.
• As the cases rise so do hospitalizations, putting additional strain on our health care system. As of last night, our state had less than 600 ICU beds available.
• [Trump] has also been a hypocrite on the issue of immigration; the fact of the matter is, when you combine a vibrant immigrant community with a vibrant science and technology community, that’s what makes us the hub of innovation. And from my perspective, the president has absolutely undercut our ability to attract the best and brightest in the world, which he is touting today.

Congressional Candidate Deborah Ross

• We’re dealing with a President, we’re dealing with a US Senate and we’re dealing with a State Legislature that’s holding our people back — keeping us from combatting this coronavirus in the way we really should.
• The House acted a couple months ago to pass the HEROES Act … what did the Senate do and what did the president do? They took a wait-and-see approach and encouraged reckless public health actions that have resulted in a spike in the coronavirus.
• The actions of the Senate and this president are holding us back. And what are they doing now? Talking about reducing unemployment benefits. That will make sure that this economy doesn’t rebound and that people are kicked out of their homes, can’t pay their utility bills, can’t take care of their basic family needs.
• We need the president to go back to Congress and work with Republicans to make sure that people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own get the assistance that they need, to make sure that we have health care during the time of a national health emergency and to make sure that our frontline workers have paid sick leave.
• This president has failed at every turn to put health and safety first. He is putting himself, his reelection, and this photo op that he’s going to take in Wake County in a couple of hours first.
• I suggest that he talk to the people who are really hurting; the people who are worried about when their kids can go back to school … I suggest he talk to our front line workers.