WASHINGTON, DC – Statement from Facts First USA Co-Chair David Jolly on House Republicans’ Upcoming “COVID Origins” Hearing:
“Trump’s over-the-top praise of President Xi last week must have been pretty humiliating to Republicans right before their COVID Origins hearing. The last thing they need right now is a glaring reminder that COVID originated under a President who was paid money by China while he served in office, whose family profited from China while working in the White House, and who repeatedly praised Xi’s handling of COVID during its origins. Not to mention a President whose son-in-law ran a corrupt, inept operation that left our nation’s first responders without answers or equipment. There’s a lot to investigate about the origins of COVID, but you can be certain today won’t be anything more than a political stunt that does nothing for the American people.”
EMBARRASSING NEW CONTEXT TO TODAY’S “COVID ORIGINS” HEARING
Today, House Oversight Committee Republicans are holding a hearing on the origins of Covid-19, focusing on China. Which is convenient since just last week former President Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, said he was a “brilliant man,” and repeatedly called him “top of the line.” We can add that to the times Trump praised Xi for his handling of Covid-19. We haven’t forgotten when Trump said Xi “handled [Covid-19] really well” and that he was “strong, sharp, and powerfully focused,” and that Trump did so while downplaying the severity of the virus to the American people even though he knew it was dangerous and highly contagious. Trump hasn’t stopped praising Xi since leaving office and House Republicans can’t erase or ignore that fact.
While Trump was praising Xi during his time in office, he and his family were making money from Chinese business deals. During Ivanka Trump’s time in the White House she received approval for 41 Chinese trademarks, and those trademarks were reportedly approved about 40 percent faster while Trump was in office compared to those she sought before Trump was president. Several trademarks were even approved after President Trump vowed to prevent a major Chinese telecommunications company from going under. President Trump’s business also received at least $5.4 million as a result of a lease agreement involving a Chinese state-owned bank in Trump Tower. Instead of sweeping Trump family conflicts under the rug, House Republicans conducting oversight could investigate the origins of these events.
If they’re looking for something to investigate, they could, yet again, go to Jared. House Republicans could look at how in the early days of the pandemic Kushner stacked a response team with private equity and consulting volunteers who had little expertise with obtaining personal protective equipment (PPE) desperately needed by hospitals and health care professionals, and then one of the contracts organized by the team resulted in a state seeking to recover $69 million after a vendor failed to deliver 1,000 ventilators. The FEMA Inspector General also recently said Kushner’s other effort, Project Airbridge, “appears to have had little impact in reducing critical PPE shortages for healthcare workers who needed supplies most” and the $238 million spent “may have been better spent on other Covid-19 initiatives.” You can’t spell corrupt Covid origin story without Jared.
April 11, 2023: President Trump Praised Chinese President Xi Jinping
FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLED PRESIDENT XI A “BRILLIANT MAN” AND SAID NO ONE IN HOLLYWOOD COULD PLAY HIM
April 2023: Former President Trump Gushed About Chinese President Xi Jinping, Called Him A “Brilliant Man” And Said There Was No One In Hollywood Who Could Play Him. “Former President Donald Trump gushed about Chinese leader Xi Jinping in an interview on Fox News, calling him a ‘brilliant man’ and praising his good looks. During a sit-down interview on Tuesday night, Fox News host Tucker Carlson asked Trump how smart he thinks Xi is. Trump replied: ‘Top of the line.’ ‘President Xi is a brilliant man. If you went all over Hollywood to look for somebody to play the role of President Xi, you couldn’t find it. There’s nobody like that. The look, the brain, the whole thing,’ said Trump.” [Business Insider, 4/11/23]
FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP REPEATEDLY DESCRIBED CHINESE PRESIDENT XI AS “TOP OF THE LINE”
Asked About Chinese President Xi Jinping, Former President Trump Said He Was “Top Of The Line.” FOX NEWS’ TUCKER CARLSON: “How smart is he, could you tell?” FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: “Top of the line. They’re all top of the line. Our guy is not top of the line, never was. These are top of the line people at the top of their game. President Xi is a brilliant man. If you went all over Hollywood to look for somebody to play the role of President Xi, you couldn’t find it. There’s nobody like that. The look, the brain, the whole thing. We had a great relationship […] Top of the line smart, top of the line. […] We got along so well, there was a great chemistry we had.” [Fox News, Tucker Carlson, 4/11/23] (video)
Former President Trump: “People Ask Me, How Smart Is Xi? I Said Top Of The Line You Never Met Anybody Smarter.” FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: “But people ask me, how smart is Xi? I said top of the line you never met anybody smarter. How smart is Kim Jong Un? Top of the line. You know people say, oh, this and that. Really smart. You know when you come out as a young man, 24, 23, even though he sort of inherits it. Most people when they inherit they lose it. And that’s easy stuff. He took over a country of very smart people, very very energetic people and very tough people at a very young age and he has total dominant control. That’s not easy. These are very smart people.” [Fox News, Tucker Carlson, 4/11/23] (video)
President Trump Repeatedly Praised Chinese President Xi Jinping While Also Intentionally Downplaying The Severity Of Covid-19 To Americans
PRESIDENT TRUMP REPEATEDLY PRAISED PRESIDENT XI AND CHINA’S HANDLING OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
HEADLINE: “15 Times Trump Praised China As Coronavirus Was Spreading Across The Globe” [Politico, 4/15/20]
- January 2020: President Trump Praised President Xi, Said Covid-19 “Will All Work Out Well.” “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!” [Twitter, Donald Trump, 1/24/20]
- February 2020: Trump Praised President Xi And Claimed “He’s Handled [COVID-19] Really Well.” TRUMP: “I just spoke to President Xi last night, and, you know, we’re working on the — the problem, the virus. It’s a — it’s a very tough situation. But I think he’s going to handle it. I think he’s handled it really well. We’re helping wherever we can.” [Politico, 4/15/20]
- February 2020: Trump Claimed President Xi Was “Strong, Sharp, And Powerfully Focused” On Handling Coronavirus – “Great Discipline Is Taking Place In China.” “Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China. He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus. He feels they are doing very well, even building hospitals in a matter of only days … Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help!” [Twitter, Donald Trump, 2/7/20]
HEADLINE: “The Many Times Trump Has Praised China’s Handling Of The Coronavirus Pandemic” [CNN, 5/19/20]
HEADLINE: “‘For The Love Of God, Don’t Do That’: Trump’s HHS Secretary Begged Him Not To Praise The Chinese President’s Pandemic Response On Twitter, Book Says” [Business Insider, 6/30/21]
PRESIDENT TRUMP INTENTIONALLY DOWNPLAYED THE SEVERITY OF COVID-19
HEADLINE: “Trump Acknowledges He Intentionally Downplayed Deadly Coronavirus, Says Effort Was To Reduce Panic” [Washington Post, 9/9/20]
- President Trump On What He Said Publicly About Covid-19 Despite Knowing It Was Dangerous: “I Wanted To Always Play It Down.” “The book, using Trump’s own words, depicts a President who has betrayed the public trust and the most fundamental responsibilities of his office. In ‘Rage,’ Trump says the job of a president is ‘to keep our country safe.’ But in early February, Trump told Woodward he knew how deadly the virus was, and in March, admitted he kept that knowledge hidden from the public. ‘I wanted to always play it down,’ Trump told Woodward on March 19, even as he had declared a national emergency over the virus days earlier. ‘I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.’ If instead of playing down what he knew, Trump had acted decisively in early February with a strict shutdown and a consistent message to wear masks, social distance and wash hands, experts believe that thousands of American lives could have been saved.” [CNN, 9/9/20]
President Trump Admitted That He Knew Covid-19 Was Dangerous, Airborne, Highly Contagious And “More Deadly Than Even Your Strenuous Flu.” “President Donald Trump admitted he knew weeks before the first confirmed US coronavirus death that the virus was dangerous, airborne, highly contagious and ‘more deadly than even your strenuous flus,’ and that he repeatedly played it down publicly, according to legendary journalist Bob Woodward in his new book ‘Rage.’ ‘This is deadly stuff,’ Trump told Woodward on February 7. In a series of interviews with Woodward, Trump revealed that he had a surprising level of detail about the threat of the virus earlier than previously known. ‘Pretty amazing,’ Trump told Woodward, adding that the coronavirus was maybe five times ‘more deadly’ than the flu.” [CNN, 9/9/20]
President Trump Publicly Claimed Covid-19 Was “Going To Disappear” And “All Work Out Fine.” “Trump’s admissions are in stark contrast to his frequent public comments at the time insisting that the virus was ‘going to disappear’ and ‘all work out fine.’” [CNN, 9/9/20]
While Serving In The Trump Administration, Ivanka Trump Received 41 Chinese Trademarks
CHINESE TRADEMARKS AWARDED TO IVANKA TRUMP WERE APPROVED 40 PERCENT FASTER DURING HER TIME IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Ivanka Trump Received 41 Chinese Trademarks From March 2017 To April 2019 At A Rate 40 Percent Faster Than Those She Sought Out Before Her Father’s Inauguration. “Trump has other financial connections to China. The New York Times revealed Tuesday that the U.S. president has a bank account in China. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, received 41 Chinese trademarks from the time she was appointed a White House adviser in March 2017 to April 2019, according to an analysis of documents. The review also showed that the trademarks Ivanka applied for after her father’s inauguration got approved about 40% faster than those she sought out beforehand.” [Forbes, 10/23/20]
- HEADLINE: “China Grants 18 Trademarks In 2 Months To Trump, Daughter” [Associated Press, 11/6/18]
- HEADLINE: “Ivanka Trump Receives 5 Trademarks From China Amid Trade Talks” [CBS News, 1/21/19]
SEVERAL TRADEMARKS WERE APPROVED FOLLOWING TRUMP’S ANNOUNCEMENT TO SAVE A CHINESE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY
HEADLINE: “Ivanka Trump Wins China Trademarks, Then Her Father Vows to Save ZTE” [New York Times, 5/28/18]
- New York Times Reported That China Awarded Ivanka Trump Seven New Trademarks Around The Same Time President Trump Vowed To Prevent A Major Chinese Telecommunications Company From Going Bust. “BEIJING — China this month awarded Ivanka Trump seven new trademarks across a broad collection of businesses, including books, housewares and cushions. At around the same time, President Trump vowed to find a way to prevent a major Chinese telecommunications company from going bust, even though the company has a history of violating American limits on doing business with countries like Iran and North Korea. Coincidence? Well, probably.” [New York Times, 5/28/18]
- Just Before And After Trump Made A Surprise Announcement Vowing To Save The Chinese Company, ZTE, Ivanka Trump Was Awarded Long-Sought Trademarks Covering Her Name In China. “Mr. Trump said in a surprise announcement on May 13 that he was working with China’s president, Xi Jinping, to save jobs at the Chinese telecommunications company, ZTE. The company was left paralyzed after American officials forbade companies in the United States from selling their chips, software and other goods to ZTE for violating trade controls. Mr. Trump’s announcement was widely seen as a potential peace offering to Beijing as the United States and China threatened each other with tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of trade. Just before and after that announcement, Ms. Trump won some long-sought trademarks covering her name in China.” [New York Times, 5/28/18]
Trump’s Business Received Millions From A State-Owned Chinese Bank While He Was In Office
DURING HIS TIME IN OFFICE, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S BUSINESSES RECEIVED MILLIONS FROM A CHINESE STATE-OWNED BANK
HEADLINE: “Forbes Estimates China Paid Trump At Least $5.4 Million Since He Took Office, Via Mysterious Trump Tower Lease” [Forbes, 10/23/20]
Despite Claiming He Doesn’t Make Money From China, Forbes Reported That $5.4 Million Went Towards The President’s Businesses As Part Of A Lease Agreement Involving A State-Owned Bank In Trump Tower. “President Donald Trump, who declared ‘I don’t make money from China’ in Thursday night’s presidential debate, has in fact collected millions of dollars from government-owned entities in China since he took office. Forbes estimates that at least $5.4 million has flowed into the president’s business from a lease agreement involving a state-owned bank in Trump Tower.” [Forbes, 10/23/20]
- The Industrial And Commercial Bank Of China Signed A Lease For A Space In Trump Tower In 2008 Paying $1.9 Million In Annual Rent – In 2015, Trump Pointed Journalists To The Industrial Bank Of China And Claimed “I Have The Best Tenants In The World.” “The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China signed a lease for space in 2008, years before the president took office, paying about $1.9 million in annual rent. Trump is well-aware of the deal. ‘I’ll show you the Industrial Bank of China,’ he told three Forbes journalists touring Trump Tower in 2015. ‘I have the best tenants in the world in this building.’” [Forbes, 10/23/20]
- The Bank’s Lease Was Set To Expire In 2019, But Eric Trump Said The Chinese State-Owned Bank Would Keep “A Couple Of Floors” In Trump Tower. “The lease was set to expire on October 31, 2019, according to a debt prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2018, the state-owned bank agreed to a new lease in a different office building nearby, suggesting it might leave Trump Tower. But then, the bank decided to stay in the president’s building anyway. “They are keeping a couple of floors,” Eric Trump confirmed onstage at a business conference in October 2019.” [Forbes, 10/23/20]
Jared Kushner Led A Covid-19 Response Team Filled With Private Equity Volunteers Who Had No Previous Experience Managing Assigned Tasks
HEADLINE: “Kushner Coronavirus Effort Said To Be Hampered By Inexperienced Volunteers” [Washington Post, 5/5/20]
- The Coronavirus Response Team Led By Jared Kushner Relied on Volunteers From Consulting And Private Equity Firms With Little Expertise On Obtaining Supplies For Hospitals Along With Other Tasks They Were Assigned. “The coronavirus response being spearheaded by President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has relied in part on volunteers from consulting and private equity firms with little expertise in the tasks they were assigned, exacerbating chronic problems in obtaining supplies for hospitals and other needs, according to numerous government officials and a volunteer involved in the effort.” [Washington Post, 5/5/20]
- The Team Responsible For PPE Had Little Success Securing Equipment Given Their Lack Of Knowledge And No Clear Understanding Of The Rules Required To Obtain Said Tools. “The document alleges that the team responsible for PPE had little success in helping the government secure such equipment, in part because none of the team members had significant experience in health care, procurement or supply-chain operations. In addition, none of the volunteers had relationships with manufacturers or a clear understanding of customs requirements or Food and Drug Administration rules, according to the complaint and two senior administration officials.” [Washington Post, 5/5/20]
HEADLINE: “Shocking: Jared Kushner’s Young Consultant Army Was Clueless On Coronavirus” [Vanity Fair, 5/6/20]
- Vice News: “[Kushner] Also Actively Mismanaged The Effort To Obtain Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) And Other Supplies For Healthcare Workers At A Time When They Were Needed Most.” “It wasn’t just Kushner’s words about the pandemic, either: He also actively mismanaged the effort to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies for healthcare workers at a time when they were needed most.” [Vice News, 6/16/21]
HEADLINE: “Jared Kushner’s Shadow Coronavirus Task Force Used A Spreadsheet Called ‘VIP Update’ To Procure PPE From Inexperienced Trump Allies Over Legitimate Vendors“ [Business Insider, 5/6/20]
ONE OF THE BOGUS CONTRACTS ORGANIZED BY KUSHNER’S TEAM WENT ON TO COST THE GOVERNMENT NEARLY $70 MILLION
HEADLINE: “How Kushner’s Volunteer Force Led a Fumbling Hunt for Medical Supplies” [New York Times, 5/5/20]
- Kushner-Led Volunteers Passed Along Procurement Forms Submitted By A Silicon Valley Engineer Promising 1,000 Ventilators, Who Then Received A $69 Million Dollar Contract – No Ventilators Were Delivered And New York State Had To Seek To Recover The Lost Funds. “At least one tip the volunteers forwarded turned into an expensive debacle. In late March, according to emails obtained by The Times, two of the volunteers passed along procurement forms submitted by Yaron Oren-Pines, a Silicon Valley engineer who said he could provide more than 1,000 ventilators. Mr. Kushner’s volunteers passed the tip to federal officials who then sent it to senior officials in New York, who assumed Mr. Oren-Pines had been vetted and awarded him an eye-popping $69 million contract. Not a single ventilator was delivered, and New York is now seeking to recover the money.” [New York Times, 5/5/20]
WATCHDOG SAID MONEY FFOR KUSHNER’S “PROJECT AIRBRIDGE” MAY HAVE BEEN BETTER SPENT ON OTHER COVID-19 INITIATIVES
Watchdog Said Kushner-Run Project Airbridge “Appears To Have Had Little Impact In Reducing Critical PPE Shortages For Healthcare Workers Who Needed Supplies Most.” “A new watchdog report says that FEMA didn’t provide sufficient oversight for Project Airbridge, an initiative started early in the pandemic by the Trump administration to mitigate medical supply chain issues and deliver personal protective equipment to locations in need that Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner played a big part in. While acknowledging the initiative was a ‘potential solution’ for the crisis the Homeland Security inspector general report said, ‘FEMA went from concept to implementation of Project Airbridge in about one week, without assessing the capacity of the distributors’ commercial supply chains.’ Also, the project ‘appears to have had little impact in reducing critical PPE shortages for healthcare workers who needed supplies most,’ said the report. ‘The project’s $238 million may have been better spent on other COVID-19 initiatives.’ FEMA leadership agreed with the IG’s recommendations, but disagreed with some of its alleged characterizations. FEMA announced in June 2020 it was phasing out Project Airbridge.” [Government Executive, 2/10/23]
FEMA Inspector General On Project Airbridge: “The Project’s $238 Million May Have Been Better Spent On Other COVID-19 Initiatives.” “We understand the need to mitigate supply chain disruptions. However, FEMA still had a responsibility to spend funds on verified needs. Although airlift initiatives move items quickly, they are not justified when inventory growth exceeds distribution rates. During Project Airbridge, the distributors’ supply chains were functioning, they had significant PPE inventories, and they imported more PPE than Project Airbridge. FEMA should have implemented better controls to assess and adjust operations based on distributors’ inventories and supply lines, but it did not. Additionally, Project Airbridge appears to have had little impact in reducing critical PPE shortages for healthcare workers who needed supplies most. Only one of the six distributors satisfied the MOA minimum 50 percent compliance requirement of total shipments. Thus, the project’s $238 million may have been better spent on other COVID-19 initiatives. FEMA should leverage lessons learned from this audit when contemplating and undertaking future private-government partnerships.” [FEMA, Inspector General, February 2023]