Ahead of Donald Trump’s trip to South Dakota on Friday, Democratic National Committee spokesperson John Weber released the following statement:

“South Dakotans — and voters across the country — don’t need a president obsessed with his own photo ops, especially in the middle of a crisis. They need coronavirus tests, they need personal protective equipment, and they need a president who’s willing and able to lead us. But instead of living up to the most basic responsibilities of his office this Independence Day, Donald Trump is still downplaying the virus, calling for a slowdown of testing, bucking social distancing guidelines, and showing Americans why we can’t afford four more years of him in the White House.” 

BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S FAILED CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

Promise: “We are marshalling the full power of the federal government and the private sector to protect the American people.” [Oval Office Address, 3/11/20]

• Reality: After Trump wasted time ignoring his own advisors and downplaying the coronavirus pandemic, the United States leads the world with more than 2.5 million confirmed cases and nearly 130,000 deaths
• Reality: Even in the midst of a global pandemic, Trump and the Republican Party are attempting to overturn the Affordable Care Act — endangering health coverage for 12,000 South Dakotans and threatening protections for as many as 345,000 South Dakotans with preexisting conditions.
• Reality: Trump’s testing “strategy” only aims to provide tests for 2% of South Dakotans. And even as experts warned of a coming pandemic, Trump sent record shipments of N95 masks overseas.