President Trump’s former homeland security adviser doubted the effectiveness of restricting travel from Europe at this point in the fight against the coronavirus.
On Wednesday night, Trump announced a ban on nonessential travel from Europe, with the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland, for 30 days to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Tom Bossert, who advised Trump on counterterrorism from 2017 to 2018, claimed that it was too late to implement an effective travel ban as a means of containing the coronavirus.
“There’s little value to European travel restrictions. Poor use of time & energy,” Bossert tweeted Thursday. “Earlier, yes. Now, travel restrictions/screening are less useful. We have nearly as much disease here in the US as the countries in Europe. We MUST focus on layered community mitigation measures-Now!”
There’s little value to European travel restrictions. Poor use of time & energy. Earlier, yes. Now, travel restrictions/screening are less useful. We have nearly as much disease here in the US as the countries in Europe. We MUST focus on layered community mitigation measures-Now!
— Thomas P. Bossert (@TomBossert) March 12, 2020
He argued that in two-weeks, most people would agree that the travel ban was not a good use of time because the illness is already spreading through several communities in the United States.
“I have a great public health colleague who manages outbreaks by asking: Two weeks from now, what will we wish we had done today. He puts that question in a little time capsule, and asks you two weeks later what you wish you had said, in retrospect,” Bossert explained.
He continued, “In two weeks, we will regret wasting time and energy on travel restrictions and wish we focused more on hospital preparation and large scale community mitigation.”
In two weeks, we will regret wasting time and energy on travel restrictions and wish we focused more on hospital preparation and large scale community mitigation.
— Thomas P. Bossert (@TomBossert) March 12, 2020
While Bossert has his criticisms of the administration’s response to the coronavirus, he did commend many of the actions that have been taken. He agreed with Trump’s message on Wednesday night that the virus should not be politicized, even if there are disagreements in the response.
“Let’s be constructive and not political,” Bossert tweeted. “Trump made a tremendous and positive step last night to convey the seriousness of this virus and the deliberate urgency with which we must now act.”
Let’s be constructive and not political. @realDonaldTrump made a tremendous and positive step last night to convey the seriousness of this virus and the deliberate urgency with which we must now act. #coronavirus
— Thomas P. Bossert (@TomBossert) March 12, 2020
Europe has been struggling to contain the spread of coronavirus. Italy shut down the entire country in order to contain the illness while German Chancellor Angela Merkel predicted that 60-70% of people living in Germany would be infected by the disease. Globally, more than 127,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus, and over 4,700 people have died.
Bossert resigned from the Trump administration in 2018 after leading the effort to address Hurricane Harvey. He received positive remarks from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security when he made his exit to the private sector.
