Straight talk from Anthony Fauci:
- America doesn't have the coronavirus under control.
- Outbreaks in various parts of America put "the entire country at risk."
- He wouldn't "be surprised" if we hit 100K new cases a day, up from 40K.
Why it matters: Suppression of the virus has failed, and the U.S. is missing presidential leadership on social distancing and face masks.
Fauci before the Senate HELP Committee:
- "I can't make an accurate prediction, but it is going to be very disturbing, I will guarantee you that, because when you have an outbreak in one part of the country even though in other parts of the country they're doing well, they are vulnerable."
- "We can't just focus on those areas that are having the surge. It puts the entire country at risk."
- Fauci further warned against states skipping steps on reopening.
- Video.
The big picture: Top leaders are beating the drum in favor of face masks, including...
- VP Mike Pence
- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
- Former VP Joe Biden
Not on that list: President Trump
- Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) specifically urged Trump on Sunday to wear a mask in order to "help to get rid of this political debate," Axios' Jacob Knutson reports.
Between the lines: Hospitalizations and deaths are a lagging indicator, so by the time the fresh outbreaks reach crisis levels, it'll already be too late.
The bottom line: Bars are "really not good, really not good. ... We really have got to stop that," Fauci told Congress today.
