Coronavirus briefing: Trump’s testing spin isn’t near actuality.

President Donald Trump made plenty of false and deceptive claims on Tuesday to advance his case that the US is just not solely over the worst of the coronavirus outbreak, however nearing the purpose of being able to reopen for enterprise.

Most regarding was his insistence that the US has mastered what public well being specialists say should be the 1st step to reopening: widespread testing. The US’s day by day testing capability has been flat for a few month, and specialists say it must triple earlier than it’ll be really protected to reopen companies.

To listen to Trump inform it, nevertheless, the US has truly performed extra checks than all different international locations mixed.

“I believe I learn yesterday a report that we’ve completed greater than everyone — each different nation — mixed,” Trump mentioned at yet one more on Tuesday, including later: “We’ve examined greater than each different nation on the earth even put collectively.”

It is a whopper. In keeping with Worldometer, a web site that tracks coronavirus information by nation, the US has in actual fact completed extra testing than every other particular person nation that stories information — the variety of checks performed in China, as an example, isn’t accessible — however we’re nowhere near doing extra testing than all different international locations mixed. Properly over 20 million checks have been performed the world over, and simply over four million have them have been completed in america.

So Trump’s declare isn’t even near appropriate. And it additionally overlooks that whereas the uncooked variety of checks performed in America sounds spectacular, it lags behind international locations like Germany and Canada when it comes to checks per a million folks.

The truth is that whereas US coronavirus deaths are rising at a slower price than they had been every week in the past, it’s nonetheless too early to say whether or not the worst is already within the rearview mirror.

However with the economic system in ruins and a troublesome reelection battle on the horizon, Trump has causes to reopen companies rapidly. Characteristically, they don’t jive with actuality.

Maybe Trump’s most egregious lie on Tuesday was saved for his feedback about anti-stay-at-home protests he’s inspired in states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia — protests which might be basically in opposition to his personal insurance policies.

“I’ve watched a few of the protests,” Trump mentioned. “They’re separated, there’s lots of area in between. They’re doing social distancing, in the event you can imagine it.”

Fox Information’s protection, nevertheless, has made it abundantly clear that lots of the protesters aren’t solely not social distancing, however they’re seemingly thumbing their nostril on the notion and thereby placing their associates, household, and neighbors in peril of contracting the virus.

Take into account this screengrab from Fox’s protection of a North Carolina protest on Tuesday — protection that led the midday hour:

Fox Information screengrab

These stills from final Friday’s protection additionally present protesters packed collectively in a way that might unfold the virus.

Trump, nevertheless, appears keen to say no matter it takes to make reopening enterprise at this juncture look like an inexpensive choice, and he’s getting assist from different members of the White Home coronavirus job drive on this effort.

On Tuesday, as an example, job drive coordinate Dr. Deborah Birx made a case that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) transfer to reopen hair salons and tattoo parlors as quickly as this weekend may make sense — if employees are in a position to give haircuts or tattoo folks whereas remaining socially distanced.

“If there’s a approach that folks can social distance and do these issues, then they’ll do these issues,” Birx mentioned. “I don’t understand how.”

At one other level, Trump was requested how folks in South Carolina could possibly be protected against the governor of Georgia’s resolution if it seems to be a foul one. “We’re going to seek out out,” he said in response.

The information strikes quick. To remain up to date, observe Aaron Rupar on Twitter, and browse extra of Vox’s coverage and politics protection.