At his press briefing yesterday, Trump put his politicization of the coronavirus and opposition to science on stunning display. He falsely blamed blue states for high death tolls to try to cover for his failed response and publicly contradicted his own CDC director on the vaccine distribution timeline and effectiveness of masks.

Trump’s political interference on vaccine development was “on stunning display” and is deepening the damage of his “disastrous” response.

CNN: “President Donald Trump’s political interference in the scientific and ethical process underwriting the quest for a Covid-19 vaccine — on stunning display on a chaotic Wednesday — is deepening the damage of his disastrous pandemic response.”

Trump has put his reelection hopes on the arrival of a vaccine and is contradicting experts to convince Americans it is coming soon.

Washington Post: “President Trump is putting a lot of his reelection hopes on one thing: the imminent arrival of a coronavirus vaccine that he and his administration can take credit for. We got a glimpse Wednesday of just how dependent the president is on convincing Americans a vaccine is coming to end this pandemic in months.”

Hours after the CDC director’s testimony, Trump twice contradicted him on the timeline for a vaccine and the effectiveness of masks.

New York Times: “President Trump on Wednesday rejected the professional scientific conclusions of his own government about the prospects for a widely available coronavirus vaccine and the effectiveness of masks in curbing the spread of the virus as the death toll in the United States from the disease neared 200,000.”

Trump made his “most explicit politicization yet” of his coronavirus response when he falsely blamed blue states for the nation’s high death toll.

Washington Post: “Trump blames blue states for the coronavirus death toll — but most recent deaths have been in red states”

USA Today: “His remarks Wednesday were his most explicit politicization yet of the handling of COVID-19.”