Azar finds out where he stands like everybody else in Trump World does

[Trump's appointment of Mike Pence to head the coronavirus response] came as a person in Northern California tested positive Wednesday for the virus, the first case in the United States that has no known link to foreign travel or contact with someone known to be infected — a sign the virus may be spreading in at least one location.

[...]

Trump made no mention of the new case Wednesday as he struck an optimistic tone about the virus.

“We’ve had tremendous success, tremendous success beyond what many people would’ve thought,” the president said.

  WaPo

Tremendous success.  Beyond what many people would've thought.  Is there anyone who could NOT write his speeches for him?  Anyone, that is, but the people in his administration.

[Health and Human Services Secretary Alex] Azar was blindsided by the decision to put Pence in charge of the coronavirus response, according to five people familiar with the situation, who said Azar learned of the decision only moments before the evening news conference.

Hey, that's more than some. He should be grateful.

Trump, who praised Azar publicly Tuesday, has been skeptical of the secretary’s ability to handle the crisis, a senior administration official said. The president has been reluctant to oust him in part because he did not want to add to the sense of disarray, the official said.

[...]

Administration officials have sparred internally in recent days over the emergency budget request, with Azar and others seeking a much larger package and White House aides calling for a less ambitious approach, according to officials with knowledge of the dispute, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.

[...]

Pence is scheduled to run a coronavirus task force at HHS on Thursday, two sources familiar with the plans said. One senior administration official said Pence was going to HHS to lead the meeting, instead of the White House, “as a show of support to Azar.”

Not sure that's going to do it. That might be worse.

Late Wednesday, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told other administration officials that all media requests about coronavirus should now be routed through Pence’s office, two people with knowledge of his email said.

[...]

One of Trump’s biggest gripes has been the messaging from administration officials, both of these people said.

And that's why Trump appointed Pence.

Trump said his decision to put Pence in charge was not tantamount to appointing a czar, despite him taking a role that serves the same purpose.

“Mike is not a czar, he’s vice president,” the president said. “I’m having them report to Mike. Mike will report to me.”

[...]

The White House considered appointing a “czar” to oversee the government-wide response effort, a move that would essentially demote Azar from his role as the head of the coronavirus task force.

“I don’t anticipate one,” Azar told lawmakers earlier Wednesday when asked if a czar would be appointed. “This is working extremely well.”

Sit. Roll over. Beg.

[A]t the end of the news conference, Azar walked back to the lectern to clarify that he remained the chairman of the coronavirus task force and had not been demoted. He said he was actually “delighted” to have Pence overseeing the effort.

As Azar was speaking, Trump walked out of the room.

Azar better keep a bag packed and ready to leave.

Trump’s positive message was at odds with the statements by top members of his administration in recent days who have warned of an unpredictable virus that could spread into communities and upend Americans’ daily lives.

The president was contradicted almost in real time by some of the government experts who flanked him as he stood in the White House press briefing room.

“We could be just one or two people over the next short period of time,” Trump said of the virus’s impact in the United States.

[...]

“We can expect to see more cases in the United States,” Azar said.

“We do expect more cases,” [CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne] Schuchat said.

[...]

[Trump's] news conference quickly devolved into campaign-style attacks on Democrats, predictions of a stock market rally and self-congratulatory assessments of his handling of the crisis.

[...]

The stock market, which Trump has followed closely in recent days, continued its sharp slump Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling an additional 124 points. After enduring its worst two-day slide in four years on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday’s decline put the total losses this week at more than 2,000.

[...]

[I]n the wake of a stock market rout that eliminated more than $2 trillion in wealth, the news conference was intended to be a show of force, with several top administration officials from a “coronavirus task force” present.

And they contradicted him. When he walked out of the room I bet he went straight off into a screaming tirade.

Trump took to Twitter early Wednesday to accuse cable news channels of “doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible.”

The president’s efforts to downplay the virus have focused on the fact that the United States has seen relatively few cases and, so far, no confirmed deaths. Trump has also contended that the virus was “very much under control” and has indicated it would be gone by April.

[...]

Multiple public health officials from the administration have contradicted that prediction. Asked if he agreed that the coronavirus would be gone by April, CDC Director Robert Redfield told Congress he didn’t.

“Prudent to assume this pathogen will be with us for some time to come,” he said Wednesday.

[...]

The remarks were the president’s most extensive public comments yet about a crisis that threatens a main component of his reelection message — the economy. Trump administration officials have said they expect the virus to hamper economic growth this year, something that could complicate the president’s economy-focused campaign pitch.

“While the immediate risks to the American public remain low, there is now community transmission in a number of places, including outside of Asia, which is deeply concerning,” Azar said. “We are working closely with state and local and private-sector partners to prepare for mitigating the virus’s potential spread in the United States as we expect to see more cases here.”

[...]

The administration has faced bipartisan criticism for its handling of the crisis, as lawmakers have publicly complained about the lack of consistency and clarity from senior officials involved in the response. Congressional leaders on Wednesday began putting together a large emergency spending package to deal with the outbreak, seeking to spend far more than the $2.5 billion the White House requested earlier this week.

Administration officials have sparred internally in recent days over the emergency budget request, with Azar and others seeking a much larger package and White House aides calling for a less ambitious approach.

Now Trump has one more thing to whine about. I wonder how long it will take him to go from 'Democrats are blowing this out of proportion to hurt my chances at reelection' to 'Democrats are spreading the virus on purpose.'