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President Donald Trump loves to put his name on things — buildings, golf courses, steaks, to name a few.
The latest example? Trump-branded pandemic guidelines, coming to a mailbox near you.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and White House sent out postcards this month with big, bold print on one side: “President Trump’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America." On the back are hygiene tips and instructions for how to navigate the pandemic and help contain the virus.
“Even if you are young, or otherwise healthy, you are at risk and your activities can increase the risk for others," the mailer said. "It is critical that you do your part to slow the spread of the coronavirus.”
These are relatively standard guidelines that the White House coronavirus task force has circulated since March 16, when its 15-day “slow the spread” campaign began. They arrived in Florida as the country nears the end of those 15 days; nevertheless, they’re good rules to live by during this pandemic.
But it’s a rare and eyebrow-raising move for the federal government to brand what could be life-saving advice with a president’s name, especially an agency like the CDC that has been historically and intentionally apolitical. If it didn’t have the CDC’s emblem and a “.gov” email address, it could easily be mistaken for something sent by Trump’s re-election campaign.
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