Inside Trump’s coronavirus crisis --------------------------------------- Dec 31, 2019: World Health Organization (WHO) reports that mysterious pneumonia is sickening dozens of people in Wuhan, China --------------------------------------- Jan 2020: U.S. vaccine chief warns Trump administration about severe shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in national strategic stockpile --------------------------------------- Jan 21: First case of coronavirus in U.S. --------------------------------------- Jan 22: Asked if he is worried over possible pandemic, President Trump replies “No, not at all. We have it totally under control” --------------------------------------- Feb 6: First U.S. death from Covid-19 --------------------------------------- Feb 26: Trump plays down threat of virus – “within a couple of days it is going to be down close to zero” --------------------------------------- Mar 6: “Anybody that needs a test, gets a test.” Two months later less than 3% of population has been tested --------------------------------------- Mar 17: As Covid-19 cases top 6,000, Trump says he had long seen pandemic coming --------------------------------------- Mar 24: Trump wants nation “opened up and just raring to go by Easter.” Coronavirus task force warns death toll could surge to over 100,000 if lockdown is ended --------------------------------------- Mar 29: Trump touts Project Airbridge – taxpayer-funded flights of PPE from Asia to U.S., organised by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (above left) --------------------------------------- Apr 5: Trump touts anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as coronavirus treatment despite government warnings that it can cause serious side effects --------------------------------------- Apr 14: Trump announces he is halting funding to WHO --------------------------------------- Apr 23: In off-the-cuff remarks, Trump muses over injecting people with disinfectants and exposing patients’ bodies to ultraviolet light to help treat coronavirus --------------------------------------- May 5: So-called “cubic model” devised by Trump’s economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, (below right) shows Covid-19 deaths falling to zero by mid-May --------------------------------------- May 7: Project Airbridge closes amid widespread allegations of profiteering by private companies --------------------------------------- May 14: Trump administration blames lack of facemasks and other PPE on President Barack Obama --------------------------------------- May 18: Trump says he is taking HCQ --------------------------------------- May 27: U.S. reaches grim milestone of 100,000+ virus deaths --------------------------------------- May 29: Trump announces that U.S. will terminate its membership of WHO --------------------------------------------- Sources: The Atlantic, Business Insider, Mother Jones Pictures: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS