Top GOP senator warned donors, dumped stocks while downplaying virus threat publiclyRepublican Senator Richard Burr, Chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee dumped stocks and warned donors of the impending coronavirus crisis even as the US government played down the threat, US media reportedWASHINGTON - The Republican head of the Senate Intelligence Committee dumped stocks and warned donors of a looming disaster in February even as the White House played down the coronavirus threat, US media reported Thursday. On February 26, the day before Burr met with donors, Trump assured the American public: "We're going very substantially down, not up" in the number of infected. The US now has more than 14,000 cases and 205 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University tabulation. Burr defended his actions, and called the NPR article "a tabloid-style hit piece" that "knowingly and irresponsibly misrepresented" his speech to the donors. "The message I shared with my constituents is the one public health officials urged all of us to heed as (the) coronavirus spread increased: be prepared."

Source: Bangkok Post March 20, 2020 03:11 UTC