We’ve lost our moral authority’: Kinzinger unwilling to back off Trump

‘We’ve lost our moral authority’: Kinzinger unwilling to back off Trump

By Melanie Zanona 42 mins ago

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‘We’ve lost our moral authority’: Kinzinger unwilling to back off Trump

Rep. Adam Kinzinger is sticking around next Congress — and the Illinois Republican isn’t done sticking it to Donald Trump.

© Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo Rep. Adam Kinzinger.

Kinzinger, fresh off a re-election victory in his conservative district nestled between Chicago and Peoria, has been dialing up his criticism of the president since Nov. 3. The 42-year-old lawmaker has long pushed back on Trump’s foreign policy moves. But with most of the Republican party still paralyzed by Trump’s brazen attempts to overturn the election, Kinzinger is staking his ground in the post-Trump GOP.

“We have two different directions to go as Republicans,” Kinzinger said in an interview. “And I’m on the direction of, let’s get back to our roots and explain what conservatism is, so we can actually win the generation we’re gonna need to stay relevant.”

His high-profile rebukes of Trump have left some in Washington wondering about Kinzinger’s political future. Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran who has served in Congress for a decade, could have opportunities to run statewide in 2022. That’s when both Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Gov. J.B. Pritzker — both Democrats — are up for reelection. And Kinzinger’s public criticism of Trump certainly couldn’t hurt a general election bid in a blue state like Illinois.

Kinzinger said he’s keeping his options open, but currently has no plans to run for higher office.

“I never rule anything out,” Kinzinger said. “But this isn’t some grand scheme to remake myself in some image. I think it’s the same image I’ve always had.”

While Republicans are slowly starting to recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect, most GOP lawmakers who have publicly challenged Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud are either retiring or already out of office. It’s a testament to the grip Trump still has on the party, even in defeat.

Yet Kinzinger says he isn’t scared of the blowback from the party’s base or damaging his standing among fellow Republicans, making him a rare breed in today’s GOP. “I’m not saying this to try to sound cool,” he said, “but I’m not afraid of anything in politics.”

Kinzinger also insists he has no motive other than feeling a genuine, moral obligation to counteract the rhetoric Trump and his allies are peddling — and Kinzinger wishes more of his fellow Republicans would stand up, too.

“I think the long term impact of this could be devastating … It’s important to be outspoken,” said Kinzinger, who acknowledged he is “concerned” about the direction of his party. “That’s why I decided to put this on the line. We’ve lost our moral authority to be outraged.”

“When you end up where principles don’t matter, beliefs don’t matter, it’s just about who can be the loudest and kind of maintain power through raw anger and aggression, you’re no different than a lot of Latin American countries at that point,” he added.

Kinzinger has long been willing to break with Trump over foreign policy and national security issues, such as the president’s plans to draw down U.S. troops abroad. He also famously admonished the president’s “both sides” comment after the deadly protests in Charlottesville, Va. But in recent weeks, Kinzinger has pushed back on the president in increasingly aggressive ways.

In one notable tweet, Kinzinger took aim at Trump’s Twitter account, posting on the social media site: “Time to delete your account.”

In another post, Kinzinger vowed to override a potential presidential veto of a bipartisan defense bill, telling Trump “it’s really not about you.” And at one point, Kinzinger pleaded with the president to “STOP Spreading debunked misinformation... This is getting insane.”

“That’s just Adam being Adam. And the president being the president,” said fellow Illinois Republican Rodney Davis, who has served alongside Kinzinger in Congress for eight years. “If there is one thing Adam doesn’t care about, it’s being in the line of fire.”

Kinzinger remains popular in his district, though he said his office phones tend to light up anytime he bashes the president. During the 2020 cycle, Kinzinger crushed a pro-Trump challenger in the GOP primary and went on to easily defeat his Democratic opponent in the general election. He also outperformed Trump in his district by nearly a dozen points.

But Kinzinger, like his fellow Illinois Republicans in Congress, could become the target of Democratic redistricting efforts in the state next year after the 2020 census, though one Democratic operative based in Illinois said Kinzinger will likely remain safe.

Kinzinger was already open to leaving Congress at one point last year when he was in the mix to become, of all things, Trump’s Air Force secretary. The job went to another candidate who wasn’t a vocal Trump critic.

If Kinzinger does decide to leave the House, his options to run for higher office include the Senate and the governor’s mansion. But getting through a GOP primary and then winning statewide in Illinois could be a challenge, despite his reputation as a mainstream Republican with an independent streak.

“This is not going to set me up for anything,” Kinzinger said of his anti-Trump tweets. “Let’s be real: I’m a Republican in Illinois. It’s a tough state for a Republican.”

Surprisingly, Kinzinger has largely escaped the president's public rage, unlike other congressional Republicans who are willing to buck Trump. That group includes Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a defense hawk and member of GOP leadership, as well as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska.

But that doesn’t mean Kinzinger hasn’t faced a backlash. The White House reportedly considered excluding the crew from their annual Christmas party.

For Kinzinger, there’s no love lost there.

“Great,” he said. “I don’t think I was planning to go anyway.”

Above is from:  ‘We’ve lost our moral authority’: Kinzinger unwilling to back off Trump - POLITICO

December 4: Johns Hopkins COVID 19 Report

COVID-19

Updates on the COVID-19 pandemic from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

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EPI UPDATE The WHO COVID-19 Dashboard reports 64.35 million cases and 1.49 million deaths as of 12:00pm ET on December 4. We expect the global cumulative mortality to surpass 1.5 million in the next update.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have focused separately on incidence and mortality, whether in terms of total or per capita values. Today, we will take a closer look at the relationship between these to metrics by discussing the case fatality ratio (CFR). CFR helps us understand how severe a disease is by determining what percentage of patients ultimately die. The CFR for the vast majority of countries remains below 3%. In fact, 86% of countries (163 of 190) and territories tracked by Our World in Data are reporting CFR of 3% or less, 63% (120) are reporting a CFR 2% or less, and 31% (59) are reporting a CFR of 1% or less. Globally, the cumulative CFR is currently 2.3%.

High CFR can be driven by a number of factors. As we observed early in the pandemic, CFR was elevated initially in countries that were severely affected, due in part to a lack of understanding of how to treat COVID-19, an absence of therapeutics against the novel disease, and overwhelmed health systems, which did not allow patients to receive the same level of attention and care they would under normal circumstances. But one of the principal drivers of CFR is testing volume, which factors directly into how CFR is calculated. Early in the pandemic, limited testing capacity meant that only the most severe patients were tested and detected, which meant a higher percentage of identified patients went on to die. As testing volume increased, more mild and moderate cases, as well as asymptomatic infections, were identified, which shifted the CFR down due to detecting more infections relative to deaths. Additionally, improvements in our understanding of how to treat COVID-19 patients, increased availability of effective therapeutic drugs, and waning community transmission that reduced the burden on health systems also reduced COVID-19 mortality.

While most countries are reporting moderate or low CFR, several countries stand out as concerning. Most notably, Yemen is currently reporting a CFR of 28%, meaning more than 1 out of every 4 identified cases ultimately dies. Yemen’s health system has been devastated by years of civil war, including numerous attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers. Without a fully functioning healthcare and public health infrastructure, Yemen’s COVID-19 patients cannot receive the clinical care they need. Yemen does not report testing data, but considering the condition of the public health and healthcare sectors, it is likely that testing volume is extremely low, which would dramatically increase the calculated CFR. Mexico is reporting the second highest CFR globally (9.5%), and 9 other countries are reporting 5% or higher, including several in Africa, South and Central America, and the Eastern Mediterranean region as well as China. Fortunately, 8 of these 11 countries are reporting decreasing trends in CFR. Among this group, only Bolivia, Egypt, and Syria are reporting increasing trends.

Of this group of countries, only Bolivia, Iran, and Mexico have test positivity data available in the Our World in Data database. Bolivia is currently reporting test positivity of 9.2%. This is nearly double the 5% benchmark recommended by the WHO, but it is a significant improvement over its peak of 63.6% in mid-July. Iran’s test positivity has increased steadily since early September, now up to 32.1%. Mexico’s most recent test positivity data is from November 12, when it reported 48.2%. Elevated test positivity indicates that testing volume is not sufficient to capture the full scope of transmission in these countries, which could also potentially account for some portion of the elevated CFR in these countries.

NOTES:

1. We are only discussing case fatality ratio (CFR), as opposed to distinguishing it from infection fatality ratio (IFR). IFR traditionally includes individuals who are determined to be infected but do not exhibit symptoms of the disease as well as symptomatic cases, but the data we have available do not distinguish between cases and infections. The “cases” reported by countries typically include both the individuals with positive tests and those with clinical diagnoses, without differentiating between symptomatic cases and asymptomatic infections. Additionally, many asymptomatic infections are never detected, or even tested, so we cannot include those individuals in this analysis. Considering the expected proportion of infections that are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, we expect that the IFR for COVID-19 is considerably lower than both the true CFR and the figures discussed above. Many research efforts are ongoing to better characterize the total number of infections, including those never formally identified, in order to better approximate IFR.

2. You may be more familiar with the terms “case/infection fatality rate” (also commonly referred to by the acronym CFR/IFR); however, “rate” implies a temporal nature to the data (ie, cases/death over a specified period of time). We are evaluating the total data from the beginning of the pandemic so we will refer to it as “case fatality ratio.”

UNITED STATES

The US CDC reported 13.82 million total cases and 272,525 total deaths. Yesterday, the CDC reported 196,227 new cases. While this certainly includes delayed reports from last week, it does set a new record high for single-day incidence. Typically, we expect that the updates published on Fridays and Saturdays—corresponding to data through Thursday and Friday, respectively—will be the highest incidence reports of the week, so it is certainly possible that the US could continue to set new records in the coming days.

Additionally, the CDC reported 2,461 and 2,762 deaths, respectively, over the past 2 days. Again, these updates contain some delayed reports from the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, but they do represent the eighth and fourth highest single-day mortality, respectively, since the onset of the US epidemic. Yesterday’s mortality is the highest single-day total reported since April 21. Even with the depressed reports over Thanksgiving, the average daily mortality has nearly returned to its pre-holiday level, with 1,607 deaths per day (compared to 1,658 on November 25). At this rate, the US is averaging 1.1 COVID-19 death per minute.

As a reminder, these elevated reports do not necessarily represent a surge in transmission or mortality due to Thanksgiving travel and gatherings; that will take several weeks to become apparent. The elevated figures include cases and deaths from last week as state and local health departments and health systems catch up from delayed reports over Thanksgiving. It will take several weeks before we will be able to observe the effects of Thanksgiving on the US epidemic.

The US could surpass 14 million cumulative cases and 275,000 deaths in this afternoon’s update.

Data published by The COVID Tracking Project indicate that the US surpassed 100,000 current hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 40% more than at the peak of either of the 2 previous surges.

The Johns Hopkins CSSE dashboard reported 14.17 million US cases and 276,773 deaths as of 11:30am EST on December 4.

US VACCINE ALLOCATION No vaccine has yet received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US FDA, but the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on December 10 and December 17 to discuss the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine candidates, respectively. In anticipation of an EUA for one or both vaccines, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) convened an emergency meeting on December 1 to vote on proposed recommendations for the Phase 1a allocation of the initial SARS-CoV-2 vaccine supply.

ACIP voted 13-1 in favor of the including frontline healthcare workers and long-term care facility (LTCF) residents in Phase 1a, with the one objecting vote stemming from the lack of safety and efficacy data available for LTCF resident populations. The recommendation will prioritize about 21 million healthcare workers and about 3 million adults currently residing in LTCFs. ACIP did not vote on allocation for the rest of Phase 1, but other Phase 1 tiers are expected to include non-medical essential workers and others at risk for severe disease and death, including adults aged 65 years and older and those with underlying medical conditions.

VACCINE CLINICAL TRIAL CONTROL GROUPS At least 2 Phase 3 clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2 candidate vaccines have collected enough data to evaluate efficacy; however, longer-term evaluation for both safety and efficacy is required to better characterize the vaccine’s effects, including the duration of conferred immunity. One major outstanding question is how to handle trial participants who received the placebo once a vaccine is authorized for public use. Clinical trial participants are not informed whether they received the vaccine or not, but some may suspect they received the placebo, particularly if they did not experience common side effects, such as fever or fatigue. As these vaccines move closer to emergency authorization—or receive emergency authorization, as is the case in the UK—trial participants and patient advocates argue that they should be able to receive the real vaccine.

From an ethics perspective, many agree that trial participants should be prioritized for vaccination, in recognition of their willingness to risk their health to serve in the trials; however, control groups (ie, those who received the placebo) are critical to assessing the vaccines’ safety and efficacy, including over the longer term. Phase 3 trials are ongoing and need to continue in order to understand the true impacts of the vaccine and, ultimately, apply for full regulatory approval. Additionally, administering the vaccine to the control group now could also definitively indicate that these participants received the placebo initially, which would eliminate the “blinding” that is important to conducting clinical trials. While some experts, including NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, have previously supported immunization for control group participants, other experts, including some at the US FDA, have argued against doing so. Some companies, including Pfizer, have committed to informing control group participants about the availability of the vaccine as well as their potential eligibility to receive it.

US VACCINE DISTRIBUTION In addition to decisions about who to give the vaccine to, there is the immense challenge of actually distributing and administering the vaccine. Rapid mass vaccination across the US was immensely challenging, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the urgency and scale of the upcoming mass vaccination effort for SARS-CoV-2, logistical challenges for shipping and storing the vaccine, long-standing health disparities and distrust in health systems, concerns that vaccine development and evaluation were rushed, and a myriad of other issues will undoubtedly compound these challenges. Additionally, state and local public health departments that play a central role in coordinating mass vaccination have been long underfunded and under-resourced.

The military has had a large role in planning the logistics for distribution, as part of Operation Warp Speed. Once an EUA is issued, Pfizer and the US government expect that first vaccine shipments will be sent to healthcare facilities within 24-48 hours; however, it will likely take weeks to vaccinate some of the earliest batches of priority populations. Depending on supply, it will probably take 6 months or longer to vaccinate the majority of the country. Officials from Operation Warp Speed have indicated that state and local jurisdictions will be evaluated and graded on their ability to meet aggressive vaccination timelines set by the federal government. Public health experts have expressed concern that forcing health departments and health systems to proceed too quickly could ultimately have negative effects on the vaccination effort. The Association of Immunization Managers and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers (ASTHO) continue to urge the Congress to provide sufficient funding and support to state and local health departments to support planning and operations for the mass vaccination campaign. They argue that funding on the order of US$8 billion is needed; however, only US$340 million has been distributed thus far.

According to multiple reports, the US CDC plans to issue COVID-19 vaccination cards so that individuals can verify their vaccination status, much like cards used for other vaccinations, such as the ICVP “yellow card” for yellow fever. Additionally, the CDC is reportedly designing templates for buttons and stickers that health departments and providers can provide to vaccinated individuals, similar to the “I Voted” stickers handed out to many voters on election day. These templates will be included in the CDC’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccination toolkit to “educate and promote vaccination.”

UK VACCINATION On December 2, the UK announced that its Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued an emergency authorization for Pfizer’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccine—for adults aged 16 years and older. Vaccinations are expected to begin as early as next week. Like with the US FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), the vaccine is not fully licensed in the UK, but it is permitted to be used in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued guidance on prioritization for the initial doses of vaccine available in the UK. Not surprisingly, individuals in long-term care facilities (LCTFs) and frontline healthcare workers are in the top 2 tiers of Phase 1, followed by other high-risk individuals such as those with underlying health conditions and adults aged 50 and older. Notably, LTCF residents are the #1 priority in the UK, with healthcare workers listed as #2, whereas these 2 groups are lumped together in the US CDC’s ACIP guidance.

Reports indicate that hospitals can expect to begin receiving the first vaccine shipments as early as December 7. While LTCF residents are listed as the highest priority, a report by The Guardian (UK) suggests that vaccination efforts could start with healthcare workers due to logistical considerations, including the availability of ultra-cold freezers. Once supply increases sufficiently, access will be expanded to local and regional vaccination sites, largely operated by local primary care practitioners. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and the local practitioners will proactively notify eligible individuals in order to schedule a vaccination appointment, and a second appointment will be required 21 days later to receive the second dose. The UK’s Statement by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock indicated that the UK has already purchased enough of the Pfizer vaccine to cover 20 million people, and the initial shipment will include enough doses for 400,000 people. In total, the UK has purchased more than 350 million doses across 7 different vaccines.

QUARANTINE DURATION The US CDC published updated guidance regarding quarantine after known exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The CDC’s quarantine guidance continues to direct individuals to quarantine for 14 days* after the last known exposure to a COVID-19 patient, but the updated guidance provides options to shorten the quarantine period. Under the new guidance, individuals who do not exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms can end their quarantine as early as Day 10* without testing and Day 7* if they have a negative diagnostic test result (RT-PCR or antigen test). Importantly, for individuals who get tested, the test specimen should be collected within 48 hours of ending the quarantine period, which means that individuals should be tested at Day 5 or later. Even if a test conducted on Day 5 or 6 is returned before Day 7, in no case should quarantine be terminated prior to Day 7.

The CDC estimates that testing at Day 5 or later (and terminating the quarantine at Day 7 or later) would reduce transmission risk to 5-12%. For individuals who do not get tested, the CDC estimates that ending the quarantine period at 10 days can reduce transmission risk to 1-10%. The transmission risk is defined as the probability that an infected individual would transmit the infection after leaving quarantine, if quarantine were ended on a given day. For context, the model estimates the transmission risk at Day 1 to be approximately 60%, with or without a negative test.

*The day of the last known exposure is designated as Day 0.

The CDC still recommends that individuals continue to monitor for symptoms and maintain strict adherence to mask use, appropriate physical and social distancing, enhanced hygiene, and other non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)/risk mitigation measures for the full 14 days, even if they end the quarantine period prior to that point. Notably, the 14-day quarantine period remains the CDC’s primary recommendation, but the new options can allow individuals to return to work or other activities prior to that point while still substantially reducing transmission risk. In addition to reducing economic and other burden on affected individuals, the shortened quarantine period also reduces the stress on public health officials who monitor quarantined individuals, particularly in areas with high transmission and COVID-19 prevalence.

Some experts have criticized the new guidance, because it aims to promote compliance by easing the rules rather than increasing support for affected individuals that would enable them to complete the full, 14-day period. They argue that the government should increase the resources available to quarantined individuals—including financial and social support—in order to better enable them to complete the full 14-day period rather than allowing them to complete a shorter quarantine, which increases transmission risk. They also argue that some individuals who have the means to quarantine for 14 days will end it early, simply because that option is available to them.

FALSE NEGATIVE TESTS Researchers from Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, US) published findings from a study on false negative test results for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests. The study, published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, retrospectively analyzed the results of tests administered to more than 15,000 individuals in Massachusetts in March-May in order to identify the prevalence of false negative results. They specifically evaluated nucleic acid amplification tests, such as PCR-based tests, and they defined false negative tests as at least one negative test followed by a positive test within 14 days and during the “same episode of illness.”

In total, 2,699 individuals who tested negative initially were subsequently tested again, and 60 (2.2%) of these individuals were determined to have false negative results in their initial test. Of all the 3,734 total individuals with positive test results, 1.6% had false negative results in their initial test. The researchers found that “most subjects with [false negative test results] had symptoms (52/60; 87%) and chest radiography (19/32; 59%) consistent with COVID-19.” They also determined that the proportion of false negative results peaked the same week as the overall test positivity. The study led the researchers to recommend repeat testing for suspected COVID-19 patients, particularly those with symptoms and other clinical factors consistent with COVID-19 and during periods of high COVID-19 incidence.

US SEROPREVALENCE IN DONATED BLOOD A study led by researchers at the US CDC and American Red Cross analyzed specimens collected from donated blood to determine if the SARS-CoV-2 virus was circulating in the US prior to first COVID-19 cases identified on January 19, 2020. The study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, included samples from nearly 7,500 routine blood donations collected across 9 US states from December 13, 2019 to January 17, 2020. The researchers performed ELISA-based tests, pseudoneutralization assays, and true viral neutralization assays to analyze for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the donations.

In total, 106 donations tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Among 90 samples that were available for subsequent testing, 84 had “neutralizing activity” against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including 1 sample effective against the S1 subunit of the spike protein and 1 effective at blocking the ACE2 protein/receptor binding domain. The researchers identified neutralizing activity in donations from across all 9 states. The earliest specimens included in the study were collected December 13-16 in California, Oregon, and Washington, and 2% of these specimens had detectable antibodies. The overall seropositivity was approximately 1.4%, which is within the expected range of the test’s false positivity rate, but the ability of antibodies from those samples to demonstrate neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 lends further support to the findings.

Some experts have questioned whether the positive results could be a result of cross-reactivity with SARS-CoV-1 or other coronaviruses; however, the study analyzed antibodies against the S1 spike protein that is more specific to SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, considering that the earliest specimens collected were found to be seropositive, it is unclear what the background rate of seropositivity might be in this population. Without a period of 100% seronegative specimens, it is possible that SARS-CoV-2 reactive antibodies existed at some low level prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, including neutralizing activity, does suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have been circulating in the US at a low level well before the first cases of COVID-19 were detected anywhere, let alone the US. The study does not provide definitive proof that the virus was circulating in the US in mid-December, but it certainly provides additional data in support of this argument.

EVICTION MORATORIUMS Researchers from several US universities published findings from a study (preprint) on the impact of US housing evictions on COVID-19 incidence and mortality. The research focused on the 44 states that instituted eviction moratoriums in March. Over the course of the study, 27 of the 44 states lifted their eviction moratoriums, and the researchers found that COVID-19 incidence and mortality were significantly higher in states that lifted their eviction moratoriums than in states that kept them in place. Specifically, the COVID-19 incidence in states that lifted their moratoriums was 1.6 times higher 10 weeks later and more than double at 16 weeks. Similarly, COVID-19 mortality was 1.6 times higher after 7 weeks and 5.4 times higher after 16 weeks. In total, the researchers estimated that lifting the eviction moratoriums contributed more than 430,000 excess COVID-19 cases and 10,700 excess COVID-19 deaths over the study period. COVID-19 incidence and mortality are driven by a number of complex and interdependent factors, but the researchers accounted for major variables, including testing volume and other public health interventions (eg, “stay at home” orders) in their analysis.

The study ended in September, which was around the time when the US CDC issued a national moratorium on evictions and just prior to the start of the current COVID-19 surge in the US. The report is published as we approach the end of the CDC’s national moratorium, which is scheduled to terminate on December 31. The study underscores the need for social support, in particular to keep individuals and their families in their homes.

MAFIA LOCKDOWN PROTESTS Anti-lockdown protests have emerged in Italy as business owners fear the new restrictions may hurt their businesses. Organized crime has long profited from failing businesses, particularly during emergencies, by investing in or taking over operations from owners who do not have funding available to remain in business on their own. But COVID-19 restrictions, including increased law enforcement presence, are reportedly hindering the mafia’s ability to conduct their illicit operations. In response, the mafia has orchestrated violence at anti-lockdown protests in Naples last week. Several known mafia members thought to be directing violence were identified at the protests, where police and several journalists were assaulted. Regional Governor Vincenzo de Luca described the acts as “guerilla warfare.” The operating restrictions on bars and restaurants, including nightclubs and other nightlife, are estimated to have decreased the Camorra mafia’s drug revenue by as much as 60 percent. These incidents further illustrate the complex downstream effects of COVID-19 and associated risk mitigation measures.

November 4: 10,526 New COVID 19 Cases in Illinois

Timeline of Trump’s Coronavirus Responses

Timeline of Trump’s Coronavirus Responses

December 2, 2020

May 2018

The Administration disbands the White House pandemic response team.

July 2019

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) epidemiologist embedded in China’s disease control agency left her post, and the Administration decided to eliminate the role.

October 2019

“Currently, there are insufficient funding sources designated for the federal government to use in response to a severe influenza pandemic.” [Crimson Contagion exercise findings]

January 22

“We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.”

January 24

Trump praises China’s handling of the coronavirus: “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”

January 28

“This will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency...This is going to be the roughest thing you face" Trump’s National Security Advisor to Trump

January 30

"The lack of immune protection or an existing cure or vaccine would leave Americans defenseless in the case of a full-blown coronavirus outbreak on US soil,...This lack of protection elevates the risk of the coronavirus evolving into a full-blown pandemic, imperiling the lives of millions of Americans.” [Memo from Trump Trade Advisor Peter Navarro]

February 2

“We pretty much shut it down coming in from China.”

February 7

“It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu... This is deadly stuff” [Trump in a private taped interview with Bob Woodward, made public September 9]

February 10

“I think the virus is going to be—it’s going to be fine.”

February 10

“Looks like by April, you know in theory when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away.”

February 24

“The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA… Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”

February 25

“CDC and my Administration are doing a GREAT job of handling Coronavirus.”

February 25

“I think that's a problem that’s going to go away… They have studied it. They know very much. In fact, we’re very close to a vaccine.”

February 26

“The 15 (cases in the US) within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero.”

February 26

“We're going very substantially down, not up.”

February 26

“Well, we're testing everybody that we need to test. And we're finding very little problem. Very little problem.”

February 26

"This is a flu. This is like a flu."

February 27

“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”

February 28

“We're ordering a lot of supplies. We're ordering a lot of, uh, elements that frankly we wouldn't be ordering unless it was something like this. But we're ordering a lot of different elements of medical.”

March 2

“You take a solid flu vaccine, you don't think that could have an impact, or much of an impact, on corona?”

March 2

“A lot of things are happening, a lot of very exciting things are happening and they’re happening very rapidly.”

March 4

“Now, and this is just my hunch, and — but based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this. Because a lot people will have this and it's very mild.”

March 4

“If we have thousands or hundreds of thousands of people that get better just by, you know, sitting around and even going to work — some of them go to work, but they get better.”

March 5

“I NEVER said people that are feeling sick should go to work.”

March 5

“The United States… has, as of now, only 129 cases… and 11 deaths. We are working very hard to keep these numbers as low as possible!”

March 6

“I think we’re doing a really good job in this country at keeping it down… a tremendous job at keeping it down.”

March 6

“You have to be calm. It’ll go away.”

March 6

“Anybody right now, and yesterday, anybody that needs a test gets a test. They’re there. And the tests are beautiful…. the tests are all perfect like the letter was perfect. The transcription was perfect. Right? This was not as perfect as that but pretty good.”

March 6

“I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it… Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.”

March 6

“I don't need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn't our fault.”

March 7

“When we get into April, in the warmer weather—that has a very negative effect on that, and that type of a virus.”

March 7

“No, I’m not concerned at all.

March 8

“We have a perfectly coordinated and fine-tuned plan at the White House for our attack on CoronaVirus.”

March 9

During a news conference, White House officials say the U.S. will have tested one million people that week and thereafter would complete 4 million tests per week. By the end of the week, the CDC had only completed a paltry 4,000 tests.

March 9

“This blindsided the world.”

March 10

“Just stay calm. It will go away.”

March 11

“It goes away….It’s going away. We want it to go away with very, very few deaths.”

March 12

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, tells Congress that the country does not have sufficient testing. “The system is not really geared to what we need right now,” he said. “That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”

March 12

"You know, you see what's going on. And so I just wanted that to stop as it pertains to the United States. And that's what we've done. We've stopped it."

March 13

“I don’t take responsibility at all.”

March 13

The Atlantic reported that less than 14,000 tests had been done in the ten weeks since the administration had first been notified of the virus, though Mike Pence had promised the week prior that 1.5 million tests would be available by this time.

March 14

“I’d rate it a ten,” [Trump’s rating of his coronavirus response]

March 15

“Relax”

March 15

“This is a very contagious virus. It’s incredible. But it’s something that we have tremendous control over.”

March 16

“Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment-try getting it yourselves,”

March 17

“The only thing we haven’t done well is get good press.”

March 17

“I felt like it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”

March 19

I intended "to always play it down.”  [Trump in a private taped interview with Bob Woodward, made public September 9]

March 20

“I say that you're a terrible reporter, that's what I say. I think it's a very nasty question, and I think it's a very bad signal that you're putting out to the American people." [Response to reporter’s question: "What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?"]

March 22

“WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF.”

March 24

“I'm also hopeful to have Americans working again by that Easter - that beautiful Easter day.”

March 24

“We’ve never closed down the country for the flu,” Trump said. “So you say to yourself, what is this all about?”

March 24

“They have to treat us well, also. They can’t say, ‘Oh, gee, we should get this, we should get that.’”

March 25

“The faster we go back, the better it’s going to be.”

March 26

“Congratulations AMERICA!” [On Senate passage of third relief bill]

March 26

“I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they’ll have two ventilators. And now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’”

March 26

“We’ve had a big problem with the young, a woman governor from — you know who I’m talking about — from Michigan,”

March 27

“I love Michigan, one of the reasons we are doing such a GREAT job for them during this horrible Pandemic. Yet your Governor, Gretchen “Half” Whitmer is way in over her head, she doesn’t have a clue. Likes blaming everyone for her own ineptitude!”

March 27

“Mike, don’t call the governor of Washington. You’re wasting your time with him…”

March 27

“I want them to be appreciative. We've done a great job.”

March 27

“We’re doing a great job for the state of Washington and I think the Governor...he’s constantly chirping and I guess complaining would be a nice way of saying it.”

March 29

“Where are the masks going? Are they going out the back door? How do you go from 10,000 to 300,000?”

March 29

“Unfortunately the enemy is death. It's death. A lot of people are dying. So it's very unpleasant.”

March 30

"Stay calm, it will go away. You know it -- you know it is going away, and it will go away, and we're going to have a great victory."

March 30

“I think New York should be fine, based on the numbers that we see, they should have more than enough. I mean, I’m hearing stories that they’re not used or they’re not used right.”

March 30

“I haven’t heard about testing in weeks. We’re testing more than any other nation in the world. We’ve got these great tests...But I haven’t heard about testing being a problem.”

March 30

“We inherited a broken test — the whole thing was broken.”

March 31

“...it’s not the flu. It’s vicious.”

April 1

“They have to treat us well, also. They can’t say, ‘Oh, gee, we should get this, we should get that.’”

April 2

“Massive amounts of medical supplies... are being delivered directly to states...Some have insatiable appetites & are never satisfied (politics?). The complainers should have been stocked up and ready long before this crisis hit.”

April 2

“...the Federal Government is merely a back-up for state governments.”

April 3

“I’m feeling good. I just don’t want to be doing -- somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful resolute desk, the great resolute desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know, somehow I don’t see it for myself. I just don’t. Maybe I’ll change my mind.”

April 5

“FEMA, the military — what they’ve done is a miracle...And you should be thanking them for what they’ve done, not always asking wise-guy questions.”

April 6

“LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL!”

April 6

U.S. death toll passes 10,000

April 7

"So, you know, things are happening. It's a -- it's -- I haven't seen bad. I've not seen bad."

April 7

"You are not going to die from this pill...I really think it's a great thing to try."

April 7

“That was a flu. OK. So you could say that I said it was a flu, or you could say the flu is nothing to -- sneeze at," [Regarding Spanish Flu]

April 8

"I read about it maybe a day, two days ago,...It was a recommendation that he had, I think he told certain people on the staff, but it didn't matter. I didn't see it." [Regarding Peter Navarro’s January warning]

April 9

“I couldn’t have done it any better,” [When asked if his coronavirus response could have been better]

April 11

U.S. death toll passes 20,000

April 13

“But I guess I'm doing OK, because, to the best of my knowledge, I'm the President of the United States, despite the things that are said."

April 14

“Enough!” [When a reporter questioned his claim that his authority as president is “total”]

April 14

“[w]hen somebody’s the president of the United States, the authority is total.”

April 15

U.S. death toll passes 30,000

April 15

As Trump focuses on reopening, a leaked CDC and FEMA report warns of “significant risk of resurgence of the virus” with phased reopening.

April 19

“Now we’re going toward 50, I’m hearing, or 60,000 people [dead from the coronavirus]”

April 22

“If [coronavirus] comes back though, it won’t be coming back in the form that it was, it will be coming back in smaller doses that we can contain….it’s also possible it doesn’t come back at all.”

April 23

"I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that."

April 23

“So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether its ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said, that hasn't been checked but you're gonna test it. And then I said, supposing it brought the light inside the body, which you can either do either through the skin or some other way…”

April 23

“You see states are starting to open up now, and it’s very exciting to see,”

April 23

26 million jobless claims

April 24

U.S. death toll passes 50,000

April 26

“The people that know me and know the history of our Country say that I am the hardest working President in history.”

April 27

"I can't imagine why," [Regarding influx in poison control calls about disinfectant]

April 29

“It’s gonna go away, this is going to go away.”

May 3

“Look, we're going to lose anywhere from 75,000, 80,000 to 100,000 people,”

May 5

U.S. death toll passes 70,000

May 5

Consumer debt hits an all-time high

May 5

“Well run States should not be bailing out poorly run States, using CoronaVirus as the excuse!”

May 5

“I always felt 60, 65, 70, as horrible as that is. I mean, you’re talking about filling up Yankee Stadium with death! So I thought it was horrible. But it’s probably going to be somewhat higher than that,”

May 5

“There’ll be more death, that the virus will pass, with or without a vaccine. And I think we’re doing very well on the vaccines but, with or without a vaccine, it’s going to pass, and we’re going to be back to normal,”

May 5

“I don’t want to be Mr. Gloom-and-Doom. It’s a very bad subject,...I’m not looking to tell the American people when nobody really knows what’s happening yet, ‘Oh, this is going to be so tragic.’”

May 6

Brookings reports that children were “experiencing food insecurity to an extent unprecedented in modern times” and “40.9 percent of mothers with children ages 12 and under reported household food insecurity since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Republicans block proposals to expand food stamps.

May 6

“Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people.” [In response to a nurse telling him that equipment supply has been “sporadic”]

May 7

33 million jobless claims

May 8

“This is going to go away without a vaccine. It is going to go away.  We are not going to see it again.”

May 9

“This is going to go away without a vaccine.”

May 11

“Coronavirus numbers are looking MUCH better, going down almost everywhere. Big progress being made!”

May 11

“We have met the moment and we have prevailed,”

May 14

“Could be that testing’s, frankly, overrated. Maybe it is overrated.”

May 14

“Don’t forget, we have more cases than anybody in the world. But why? Because we do more testing,”

May 15

“Vaccine or no vaccine, we’re back. And we’re starting the process. In many cases, they don’t have vaccines and a virus or a flu comes and you fight through it.

May 16

“We’ve done a GREAT job on Covid response, making all Governors look good, some fantastic (and that’s OK), but the Lamestream Media doesn’t want to go with that narrative, and the Do Nothing Dems talking point is to say only bad about “Trump”. I made everybody look good, but me!”

May 18

U.S. death toll passes 90,000

May 19

“When we have a lot of cases, I don't look at that as a bad thing, I look at that as, in a certain respect, as being a good thing,...Because it means our testing is much better. I view it as a badge of honor, really, it's a badge of honor.”

May 21

USA Today reports that mortgage delinquencies surged by 1.6 million in April, the largest single-month jump in history.

May 22

38 million jobless claims

May 27

U.S. death toll passes 100,000

May 29

“We will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization”

June 6

U.S death toll passes 110,000

June 6

“Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that’s happening for our country...This is a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody. This is a great day for everybody. This is a great, great day in terms of equality.”

June 15

“At some point this stuff goes away and it’s going away.”

June 17

“It’s fading away. It’s going to fade away.”

June 18

“And it is dying out. The numbers are starting to get very good.”

June 20

"Testing is a double-edged sword,...When you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people, you're going to find more cases, so I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down, please.'"

June 22

U.S death toll passes 120,000

June 23

“Cases are going up in the U.S. because we are testing far more than any other country, and ever expanding. With smaller testing we would show fewer cases!”

June 23

"It's going away,"      

June 25

“The number of ChinaVirus cases goes up, because of GREAT TESTING, while the number of deaths (mortality rate), goes way down. The Fake News doesn’t like telling you that!”

June 25

“Coronavirus deaths are way down. Mortality rate is one of the lowest in the World. Our Economy is roaring back and will NOT be shut down. “Embers” or flare ups will be put out, as necessary!”

June 30

U.S. has just 4% of the global population, but 25% of global coronavirus cases and the second highest death rate per capita.

July 1

“I think we’re going to be very good with the coronavirus.” “I think that, at some point, that’s going to sort of disappear, I hope.”

July 6

U.S. death toll passes 130,000

July 7

"I think we are in a good place."

July 7

The president predicted that in the next two to four weeks, "I think we're going to be in very good shape."

July 8

“In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November election, but it is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!”

July 8

“I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking school [sic] to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!!”

July 18

U.S. death toll passes 140,000

July 19

“I think we have one of the lowest mortality rates in the world”

July 19

“Many of those cases are young people that would heal in a day”

“They have the sniffles, and we put it down as a test”

July 21

"You will never hear this on the Fake News concerning the China Virus, but by comparison to most other countries, who are suffering greatly, we are doing very well - and we have done things that few other countries could have done!”

July 27

"America will develop a vaccine very soon, and we will defeat the virus. We will have it delivered in record time." 

July 28

U.S. death toll passes 150,000

July 28

"He's got this high approval rating. So why don't I have a high approval rating with respect -- and the administration -- with respect to the virus?" (Trump referring to Anthony Fauci)

August 1

“Wrong! We have more cases because we have tested far more than any other country, 60,000,000. If we tested less, there would be less cases,”  (Donald Trump in a retweet of Anthony Fauci saying the U.S. has seen more cases than European countries because it only shut down a fraction of its economy amid the pandemic)

August 3

"I think we are doing very well and I think ... as well as any nation,"

August 3

"They are dying. That's true. And you — it is what it is.”

August 3

“OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!!”

August 3

“Right now I think it’s under control.”

August 3

“You know, there are those that say you can test too much, you do know that.”

August 4

"...we have among the lowest numbers." - White House Press Briefing

August 5

“If you look at children, children are almost - and I would almost say definitely - but almost immune from this disease.”

August 5

“We’re supplying the world now with ventilators. You go back four months, we didn’t have any” - Fox and Friends

August 5

“It will go away like things go away”

August 6

U.S. death toll passes 160,000

August 12

U.S. reports highest number of COVID-19 deaths in one day since mid-May

August 16

U.S. death toll passes 170,000

August 22

“Many doctors and studies disagree with this!” (Donald Trump in a quote tweet of a Twitter moment stating that the FDA is revoking hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for COVID-19 treatment, as they are “unlikely to be effective”)

August 22

“The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!”

August 23

The President claims that ballot drop boxes are a “voter security disaster” and a “big fraud,” “possible for a person to vote multiple times” and that they aren’t “Covid sanitized.”

August 26

U.S. death toll passes 180,000

August 31

"We've done a great job in Covid but we don't get the credit."

August 31

Six million Americans have now been infected by the coronavirus.

September 4

There will be a vaccine “before the end of the year and maybe even before Nov. 1. I think we can probably have it sometime in October.”

September 9

U.S. death toll passes 190,000

September 10

“I really do believe that we are rounding the corner. The vaccines are right there”

September 10

“This is nobody's fault but China.”

September 10

“We've possibly done the best job”

September 10

“We have rounded the final turn”

September 10

“I think that we've probably done the best job of any country”

September 14

Trump, was asked if he is afraid of Coronavirus risk at his rallies: “I’m on a stage, it’s very far away, so I’m not at all concerned.”

September 16

“If you take the blue states out, we’re at a level I don’t think anybody in the world would be at.”

September 16

Reporter: “[The head of the CDC] said that the vaccine for the general public wouldn’t be available until next Summer or maybe even early fall. Are you comfortable with that timeline?” Trump: “I think he made a mistake when he said that. That’s just incorrect information.”

September 19

U.S. death toll passes 200,000

September 21

“Take your hat off to the young because they have a hell of an immune system. But [the virus] affects virtually nobody. It’s an amazing thing. By the way, open your schools everybody, open your schools.”

September 21

"We're rounding the corner," "With or without a vaccine. They hate when I say that but that's the way it is. ... We've done a phenomenal job. Not just a good job, a phenomenal job. Other than public relations, but that's because I have fake news. On public relations, I give myself a D. On the job itself, we take an A+."

September 21

"In some states, thousands of people — nobody young. Below the age of 18, like, nobody. They have a strong immune system, who knows? Take your hat off to the young, because they have a hell of an immune system. But it affects virtually nobody. It’s an amazing thing.”

September 23

"I think we’re rounding the turn very much."

September 28

"And I say, and I’ll say it all the time: We’re rounding the corner.  And, very importantly, vaccines are coming, but we’re rounding the corner regardless.  But vaccines are coming, and they’re coming fast. "

September 29

"Well, so far we have had no problem whatsoever. " (referring to crowds of thousands at rallies)

"I don’t wear a mask like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from him and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen."

October 2

Trump and First Lady test positive for Coronavirus. Also, more than a dozen White House staff and aides tested positive.

October 5

U.S. death toll passes 210,000

October 5

“Don’t be afraid of Covid.”

October 6

"Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu, Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!" - Trump post, taken down by Facebook and Twitter

October 10

"But it’s going to disappear; it is disappearing."

October 11

"...We have done a “phenomenal” job, according to certain governors. Many people agree...And now come the Vaccines & Cures, long ahead of projections!"

October 12

"Under my leadership, we're delivering a safe vaccine and a rapid recovery like nobody can even believe. And if you look at our upward path, no country in the world has recovered the way we've recovered economically or otherwise, not even close."

October 12

“I went through it. Now, they say I'm immune. I can feel—I feel so powerful.”

October 12

“When this first came out, if we didn't do a good job, they predicted 2.2 million people would die, we're 210,000. We shouldn't be at, one, it's China's fault. They allowed this to happen.”

October 15

“Excess mortality, we’re a winner on the excess mortality. And what we’ve done has been amazing. And we have done an amazing job. And it’s rounding the corner and we have the vaccines coming, and we have the therapies coming.”

October 18

[On Biden] "He'll listen to the scientists... If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression instead — we’re like a rocket ship. Take a look at the numbers."

October 19

U.S. death toll passes 220,000

October 19

"People are saying whatever. Just leave us alone. They’re tired of it. People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots...Fauci is a nice guy. He’s been here for 500 years."

October 19

"They are getting tired of the pandemic, aren't they? You turn on CNN, that's all they cover. 'Covid, Covid, Pandemic, Covid, Covid.' You know why? They're trying to talk everybody out of voting. People aren't buying it, CNN, you dumb bastards."

October 20

Politico reports that The White House is considering slashing millions of dollars for coronavirus relief, HIV treatment, screenings for newborns and other programs in Democratic-led cities that President Donald Trump has deemed “anarchist jurisdictions.”

October 22

"We are rounding the turn (on coronavirus). We are rounding the corner.”

October 24

“Turn on television: ‘covid, covid, covid, covid, covid.’ A plane goes down, 500 people dead, they don’t talk about it — ‘covid, covid, covid, covid,’ “By the way, on November 4th, you won’t hear about it anymore.”

October 26

"Cases up because we TEST, TEST, TEST. A Fake News Media Conspiracy. Many young people who heal very fast. 99.9%. Corrupt Media conspiracy at all time high. On November 4th., topic will totally change. VOTE!"

October 26

"We have made tremendous progress with the China Virus, but the Fake News refuses to talk about it this close to the Election. COVID, COVID, COVID is being used by them, in total coordination, in order to change our great early election numbers. Should be an election law violation!"

October 27

"So they brought it down now, immunity, from life to four months. And you know now with them, you can’t watch anything else. You turn on… COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID, COVID. Well, we have a spike in cases. You ever notice, they don’t use the word death. They use the word cases, cases. Like, “Barron Trump is a case.” He has sniffles. He was sniffling. One Kleenex, that’s all he needed. One, and he was better. But he’s a case"

October 27

"November 4th. On November 4th, you’ll hear, “It’s getting better. It’s getting better.” You watch. No, no, they’re doing heavy COVID because they want to scare people, and people get it."

October 28

"Covid, Covid, Covid is the unified chant of the Fake News Lamestream Media. They will talk about nothing else until November 4th., when the Election will be (hopefully!) over. Then the talk will be how low the death rate is, plenty of hospital rooms, & many tests of young people."

October 30

"More Testing equals more Cases. We have best testing. Deaths WAY DOWN. Hospitals have great additional capacity! Doing much better than Europe. Therapeutics working!"

October 30

Nine million Americans have now been infected by the coronavirus.

October 30

“Our doctors get more money if someone dies from Covid,” and so “when in doubt choose Covid.”

November 1

U.S. death toll passes 230,000

November 1

“Biden wants to LOCKDOWN our Country, maybe for years. Crazy! There will be NO LOCKDOWNS. The great American Comeback is underway!!!”

November 2

“Joe Biden is promising to delay the vaccine and turn America into a prison state—locking you in your home while letting far-left rioters roam free. The Biden Lockdown will mean no school, no graduations, no weddings, no Thanksgiving, no Christmas, no Fourth of July”

November 2

“We have more Cases because we have more Testing!”

November 9

“If Joe Biden were President, you wouldn’t have the Vaccine for another four years, nor would the @US_FDA have ever approved it so quickly. The bureaucracy would have destroyed millions of lives”

November 10

U.S. death toll passes 240,000

November 11

U.S. hits record 140,000 COVID-19 cases per day

November 11

Texas hits 1 million COVID-19 cases

November 18

U.S. death toll passes 250,000

November 24

U.S. death toll passes 260,000

December 2

U.S. death toll passes 270,000

December 7

U.S. death toll passes 280,000

December 9

3,103 U.S. COVID-19 deaths in one day

December 10

U.S. death toll passes 290,000

Above is from:  https://doggett.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/timeline-trump-s-coronavirus-responses  (US Representative Lloyd Doggett, 35th Congressional District of Texas)