Mar 7, 2020 - Health

Trump derides Gov. Jay Inslee as a "snake" while touring CDC

Orion Rummler

Trump tours the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 6. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump called Washington Gov. Jay Inslee a "snake" on Friday while touring the Centers for Disease Control headquarters in Atlanta, as Washington state battles a coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 11 people.

Driving the news: Vice President Mike Pence held a press conference with Inslee on Thursday to address the state's efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

"So I told Mike not to be complementary to the governor because that governor is a snake, okay. Inslee. I said if you're nice to him, he will take advantage ... we have a lot of problems with the governor ... So, Mike may be happy with him, but I'm not."
— President Trump, speaking to reporters on Friday

Flashback: "I have had more than very robust disagreements with the current president, but I want to focus today on the work we need to do … this is a good partnership moving forward," Inslee said in his joint presser with Pence on Thursday. He emphasized that the "life and death" nature of the coronavirus supersedes disagreements with "one individual."

The big picture: There are now more than 300 coronavirus cases in at least 18 states throughout America, with the newest reports coming from a cruise ship outside California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee. Colorado public health officials are monitoring multiple presumptive case.

Go deeper: 21 test positive for coronavirus on cruise ship linked to first California death

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Washington schools shut as Gov. Inslee seeks $100M to fight coronavirus

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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) told a news conference Monday he directed officials to ask the state legislature to designate $100 million from this year's budget to help fight the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: The state is at the center of the U.S. outbreak. All six of the deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. have occurred in Washington state. Four of those who died were residents of the Life Care Center in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland in King County. Several of the 18 coronavirus infections in the state are residents of the nursing home.

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The Grand Princess cruise ship, carrying 21 people infected with the novel coronavirus, about 25 miles off the coast of San Francisco on Sunday. Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

The State Department issued an advisory Sunday warning U.S. citizens against traveling on cruise ships after a second vessel carrying American citizens was impacted by cases of the novel coronavirus.

Details: "U.S. citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship," the statement warns. "CDC notes increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment."

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Pence's presidential moment

Vice President Pence bumps with Washington state Governor Jay Inslee during a press conference March 5 near Tacoma. Photo: Karen Ducey/Getty Images

Vice President Mike Pence, often caricatured as the White House Yes Man, is doing many of the things critics wish President Trump would do.

The big picture: He's a daily, consistent presence on the airwaves. He provides useful info rather than random digressions. He leans on health and medical experts — both at public events and behind the scenes when he's chairing the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Go deeperArrowMar 15, 2020 - Politics & Policy