Is this a pandemic or new hoax?

Donald Trump Holds a Political Rally in North Charleston, South Carolina - February 28, 2020

At the rally, Trump said, “They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything, they tried it over and over, they’ve been doing it since he got in. It’s all turning, they lost. It’s all turning, think of it, think of it. And this is their new hoax.”

"Nobody. And it doesn't mean we won't and we are totally prepared. It doesn't mean we won't. But think of it, you hear 35 and 40,000 people and we've lost nobody. You wonder if the press is in hysteria mode. CNN, fake news and the camera just went off. The camera just went off. Turn it back on. Hey, by the way, hold it. Look."

So what exactly were Democrats saying in the days and weeks leading up to Feb. 28 that Trump would dub a “hoax”? 

Well on February 14, 2020 U.S. Senators Durbin, Duckworth, and Murray in the letter  wrote about their concerns. The letter was also sighed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Robert Menendez (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Doug Jones (D-AL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) 

The letter was sent to Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar and Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Mick Mulvaney expressing their concern over the Trump Administration’s failure so far to outline what additional resources it needs to respond to the rapidly developing coronavirus outbreak. The Senators were concerned that the administration was not prepared for the coming pandemic and needed more money to fight it, as Trump was underplaying the threat of the virus. 

"Based on the global escalation of cases and the increasing demands on federal, state and local public health agencies, we are concerned that HHS has not requested additional resources. We have heard the growing concerns from states and local public health departments about their escalating costs associated with travel screening, isolation and quarantine, staffing, contracts, goods and services, and equipment for the response… We strongly urge the Administration to transmit an emergency supplemental request that ensures it can and will fully reimburse states for the costs they are incurring as part of this response – including costs associated with the enactment of travel screening and quarantine policies laid out by the Federal government,” wrote the Senators.

"It is clear from previous global infectious disease outbreaks that they require aggressive, coordinated responses across the federal government. In fact, in a briefing for Senators on February 12th, Administration officials stated that we must be prepared for a very large and lengthy public health response to this virus given how easily it appears to be transmitted" the letter continued.

Then Trump  stated at a press conference about the virus, "I think that's a problem that's going to go away. “We're very close to a vaccine." -Feb 25

Chuck Schumer, later said, citing Trump's lie about a vaccine, "They don't have their hands around this—they're just sort of freelancing because they were caught by surprise."

Then Trump's chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow went on CNBC and said administration had the virus threat “contained."

"It is being contained...do you not think it's being contained in this country?" - Fox New Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway

So in essence on February 28, 2020, in front of a nationwide audience. The president of the United States referred to the concerns of millions about the coming pandemic, as "their new hoax.”  So I am not suggesting he called the virus itself  a hoax, but words matter. He said what he said and his allies said what they said. You can't make all the videos of that speech disappear.  

"But as of right now and yesterday, anybody that needs a test — that’s the important thing — and the tests are all perfect, like the letter was perfect. The transcription was perfect, right? This was not as perfect as that, but pretty good," -Trump speaks during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, March 6, 2020

As April 15 I still can't get tested where I live..

"We closed it down to China, the source, very, very early. Very, very early. Far earlier than even the great professionals wanted to do. And I think, in the end, that’s going to be — that will have saved a tremendous number of lives."March 17 Trump coronavirus task force briefing.

The first confirmed infection in the USA was January. He had symptoms dating back to January 14. Trumps “ban” was on a small subset of local nationals, over 400,000 people have came into the country from China after he "closed it down to China." China announced publicly in December they had the unidentified virus is causing pneumonia.

He downplayed the coming crisis. He referred to our concerns of the coming pandemic as the new hoax.