IATSE: Trump’s COVID-19 Diagnosis May Mean Behind The Scenes Workers Were Exposed
The IATSE issued the following statement to members via email:
Sisters, Brothers, and Kin —
Though last night’s announcement that President Donald Trump contracted COVID-19 is unfortunate, it is also unsurprising. We wish the President good health and a speedy recovery, but we also wish this to be a teachable moment.
Donald Trump’s team and campaign have been reckless with respect to masks and social distancing at events, and that puts himself and everyone around him, including military service personnel and behind the scenes workers, at risk. Just one example out of many was Trump’s Tulsa Rally on June 20th, where his campaign refused to follow safety protocols, several event workers fell sick, and COVID-19 cases and deaths in the city spiked afterward.
And now, any one of Trump’s several in-person speaking engagements this week, including Tuesday’s debate, potentially exposed more of our sisters and brothers to this deadly virus.
If Donald Trump and his team were unable or unwilling to take sufficient precautions to protect themselves from the virus, how can we trust them to protect the American People?
We can’t. Trump has spent this pandemic being the largest driver of COVID-19 misinformation, refusing to wear a mask until over 120,000 American Lives were lost, and eroding confidence in our great institutions like the Center for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration… all while our industry got wiped out.
Joe Biden will listen to scientists and take the Decisive National Action necessary to beat COVID-19 and get us back to doing what we love.
In solidarity,
IATSE Communications
