Trump’s Impact on the Pandemic (In Progress)
“A screenshot of the main part of the Trump Death Clock site” as of May 9, 2020 under public domain by Eugene Jarecki.
In February 2020, the United States accused Russia of spreading conspiracies about the Wuhan coronavirus. These included allegations that the virus was a CIA biological weapon, and that it had been developed in a laboratory. The US claimed that Russia was spreading disinformation in order to undermine confidence in the US government and to sow chaos and confusion.
The allegations were soon confirmed by a European Union document, which claimed that Russian-backed organizations were amplifying conspiracy theories about the virus in order to sow panic in the West. The EU document also claimed that Russia was using the crisis to boost its own geopolitical interests.
As the pandemic continued, researchers began to study the sources of coronavirus misinformation. In September 2020, a study found that President Trump was the “single largest driver” of coronavirus misinformation. According to the study, Trump’s comments about the virus on Twitter and in public appearances were responsible for 38% of all false information about the pandemic.
Other studies confirmed these findings, arguing that Trump was a “superspreader” of misinformation. They claimed that the president’s comments had encouraged people to ignore public health guidelines, and that this had contributed to the spread of the virus.
In October 2020, a report alleged that the Trump administration had blocked public health officials from providing accurate information about the pandemic. The report claimed that officials had been prevented from speaking to the media, and that they had been forced to alter their reports in order to avoid offending the president.
The report also alleged that Deborah Birx, the president’s COVID-19 coordinator, had helped to undermine the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Birx had reportedly pressured the CDC to alter its guidelines in order to make them more in line with the president’s views.
The allegations against the Trump administration were not limited to domestic politics. In March 2022, a QAnon theory claimed that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were working together to destroy the labs of Dr. Anthony Fauci. The theory was quickly debunked by experts, who pointed out that Fauci’s work was critical to the fight against the pandemic.
By May 2022, the pandemic had claimed over one million lives in the United States. Despite this, the legacy of the Trump administration’s approach to the pandemic continued to be debated, with many arguing that the president’s comments had contributed to the severity of the crisis. In October 2022, a report alleged that the Trump administration had blocked a transit mask mandate from the CDC, further cementing the administration’s controversial approach to the pandemic.
Written with ChatGPT on August 26, 2023
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Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6 (2022)
Sources for Trump’s Impact on the Pandemic:
Trump says the coronavirus is the Democrats’ ‘new hoax’ - CNBC February 28, 2020
From AIDS to Covid-19: Trump’s decades of spreading dangerous misinformation about disease outbreaks - CNN May 30, 2020
How hiring the wrong medical “expert” derailed US pandemic response - Ars Technica June 23, 2020
Trump held six indoor rallies after acknowledging the coronavirus was airborne - CBS News September 10, 2020
Trump's first indoor rally since June defies Covid laws, attacks Biden - The Guardian September 14, 2020
Study Finds ‘Single Largest Driver’ of Coronavirus Misinformation: Trump - The New York Times September 30, 2020
The Effects of Large Group Meetings on the Spread of COVID-19: The Case of Trump Rallies - Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) October 2020
Study shows Trump is a super-spreader — of coronavirus misinformation - The Washington Post October 1, 2020
Misinformation spikes as Trump confirms COVID-19 diagnosis - AP News October 2, 2020
Trump has been the biggest source of Covid-19 misinformation, study finds - Vox October 5, 2020
'You’re Gonna Beat It.' How Donald Trump’s COVID-19 Battle Has Only Fueled Misinformation - TIME October 6, 2020
Trump Covid post deleted by Facebook and hidden by Twitter - BBC News October 6, 2020
Trump’s COVID-19 Misinformation Since Testing Positive - FactCheck.org October 6, 2020
Twitter flags Trump’s false claim about his Covid-19 immunity. Facebook, however, does nothing - CNN October 11, 2020
Community outbreaks of Covid-19 often emerge after Trump’s campaign rallies | Opinion - STAT October 16, 2020
Medical Residents Study Whether Trump Rallies Are Tied To Infection Spikes - NPR October 23, 2020
Trump’s campaign made stops nationwide. Coronavirus cases surged in his wake in at least five places. - USA Today October 22, 2020
Trump claims the worsening U.S. coronavirus outbreak is a ‘Fake News Media Conspiracy’ even as hospitalizations rise - CNBC October 26, 2020
As virus surges, Trump rallies keep packing in thousands - AP News October 29, 2020
Many counties that hosted Trump rallies had a significant increase in Covid-19 cases - CNN October 29, 2020
Study links Trump rallies to more than 700 Covid deaths - POLITICO October 31, 2020
18 Trump rallies have led to 30,000 COVID-19 cases: Stanford University study - The Hill October 31, 2020
All the President’s Lies About the Coronavirus - The Atlantic November 2, 2020
New Record of 120K COVID-19 Cases as Worst-Hit Counties Voted Trump - NBC 5 DFW November 5, 2020
4-to-1 vaccine split means COVID deaths are three times higher in Trump counties than Biden areas - salon November 8, 2021
'Trump counties' had over 3 times more COVID deaths than 'Biden counties' in October, according to a new report - INSIDER November 8, 2021
U.S. Covid Deaths Get Even Redder - The New York Times November 8, 2021
Pro-Trump counties now have far higher COVID death rates. Misinformation is to blame - NPR December 5, 2021
Counties That Voted Trump Have Much Higher Covid Death Rates, Analysis Finds - Rolling Stone December 5, 2021
People in pro-Trump areas nearly three times more likely to die from COVID-19: NPR analysis - The Hill December 6, 2021
People in counties that voted Trump more likely to die from Covid – study - The Guardian December 7, 2021
Trump Counties Have Higher COVID Death Rates - U.S. News February 3, 2022
The Changing Political Geography of COVID-19 Over the Last Two Years - Pew Research Center March 3, 2022
In wave after deadly wave, COVID has claimed 1 million lives in the U.S. - NPR May 17, 2022
Pro-Trump counties continue to suffer far higher COVID death tolls - NPR May 19, 2022
People in Republican Counties Have Higher Death Rates Than Those in Democratic Counties - SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN July 18, 2022
Covid death rates are higher among Republicans than Democrats, mounting evidence shows - NBC News October 6, 2022
Trump administration blocked CDC transit mask mandate, report shows - Reuters October 17, 2022
House report alleges Trump aides blocked public health officials from providing accurate Covid-19 information during pandemic - CNN October 17, 2022
Trump’s ‘greatest hits’ of Covid misinformation are read out at congressional hearing - INDEPENDENT April 19, 2023
The uneven toll of the coronavirus pandemic - NBC News July 30, 2023
Donald Trump Blasts New Mask Mandates: 'We Will Not Comply' - Newsweek August 31, 2023
Trump refused to wear Covid mask because it smudged his bronzer, former aide claims - Independent September 21, 2023
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