To begin with you know Trump put travel restrictions on China in Feb, right? Trump made the decision after accepting the recommendation of the public health officials at HHS.
As far as March and your insistence that Trump had downplayed the virus.....
"But it’s something that we have tremendous control over". - Trump
That was said in the second week of March by Trump. It is one of the examples used by the media to accuse Trump of downplaying.
What you clever lefties do, and what you always do is cherry pick a comment that fits your anti Trump agenda and run with it.
Here is that same statement in context, in bold..
And we’re using the full power of the federal government to defeat the coronavirus, and we will do whatever it takes. And we’re doing, I think, really, really well. A lot of good things are going to happen.
I want to thank all of the people standing behind me. You know, these are phenomenal people, and we have some of them right over here. But the people behind me have been working around the clock, and they’re doing an incredible job.
We see what’s happening. We see what’s going on in other countries. We’re looking at — we’re learning from watching other countries, frankly. This is a very contagious — this is a very contagious virus. It’s incredible. But it’s something that we have tremendous control over.
Does that sound like downplaying to you?
It sounds like "everyone keep calm" to me.
Fact: Trump downplayed the virus (See Below)
Fact: Trump made a man, Mick Mulvaney, his chief of staff after Mick said these words, "given the fact that I think he's a terrible human being,"
Phase One: The disease emerges
Dec. 31: China confirms existence of a new virus.
Jan. 20: World Health Organization reports cases in China, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.
Jan. 21: The first U.S. case is announced in Washington state (as well as Vietnam and Singapore). WHO says the virus risk globally is high.
Jan. 22: A reporter asks if there are worries about a pandemic. Trump responds:
"No. Not at all. And we have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s — going to be just fine."
Jan. 24: Trump tweets, "It will all work out well."
Jan 29: The White House forms a coronavirus response task force, initially led by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
Jan. 30: Trump blocks travel from China.
The same night, he holds a campaign rally in Iowa.
"We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five. ... we think it’s going to have a very good ending for it."
Feb. 2: Trump tells Fox News host Sean Hannity, "We pretty much shut it down coming in from China."
Feb. 4: Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. Over 2,600 guests and over 1,000 crew. Within two days, over 40 people test positive for COVID-19, including eight Americans.
Feb. 11: WHO names the new disease COVID-19.
Feb 14: Trump discusses the "very small" number of U.S. coronavirus cases with Border Patrol Council members:
"We have a very small number of people in the country, right now, with it. It’s like around 12. Many of them are getting better. Some are fully recovered already. So we’re in very good shape."
Feb. 20: WHO reports nearly 77,000 cases worldwide in 27 countries.
Feb. 24: Stock market plummets as Dow Jones Industrials falls more than 1,000 points.
The same day, Trump asks for $1.25 billion in emergency aid. It grows to $8.3 billion in Congress.He tweets that the virus "is very much under control" and the stock market "starting to look very good to me!"
Feb. 26: The first case emerges in California with no clear source, suggesting community spread of the virus.
In a news conference that day, Trump says the United States is "really prepared." He puts Vice President Mike Pence in charge of the White House task force.
Feb. 28: Cases rise across Europe, including Italy, Germany, France, England, Switzerland and Belarus.
Is this clear?