Trump’s excuse for coronavirus spike doesn’t add up — and puts him at odds with GOP allies: columnist

As Europe begins to see a light at the end of the tunnel in regards to the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. is still struggling to get its outbreak under control. Instead of ramping up the fight, President Trump has downplayed the threat, saying recently that the uptick in new cases is due to increased testing. But as the Washington Post's Aaron Blake points out, the data doesn't back up that claim.

"Trump’s commentary is increasingly at odds with GOP allies in the hardest-hit states — the ones most familiar with and accountable for the problem," Blake writes.

"To break it down to its most basic level, if this was just about testing, the percentage of positive tests would be declining," he continues. "But it’s not — and that’s particularly the case in a trio of emerging hot spots: Arizona, Florida and Texas."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) have both echoed Trump's rhetoric about increased testing, but that argument isn't working too well for them anymore. Now, according to Blake, both men are stating the obvious.

"Testing in Florida has indeed been flat over the past month-plus, yet cases are spiking," Blake writes. "In Texas, hospitalizations are rising quickly, as is the test-positivity rate, which had been below 5 percent less than a month ago but is now over 10 percent."

Read the full op-ed over at The Washington Post.