Ahead of the Trump campaign’s fundraiser in Colts Neck, New Jersey today, Democratic National Committee spokesperson John Weber released the following statement:

“Thousands of New Jerseyans have lost their lives in this pandemic, and hundreds of thousands have lost work. At every turn, Donald Trump’s incompetence has made this crisis worse, leaving working families to pick up the pieces. As cases continue spiking across the country, we need a president who will put our health and livelihoods first. We can’t afford four more years of Trump’s chaos, and we’re going to bring this failed presidency to an end come November.”

BACKGROUND ON TRUMP’S FAILED PANDEMIC RESPONSE

Promise: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” [CNBC Interview, 1/22/20]

• Reality: After Trump wasted time ignoring his own advisors and downplaying the coronavirus pandemic, the United States leads the world with more than 4 million cases and 143,000 deaths.

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: 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 595,000 New Jerseyans and threatening protections for more than 3.8 million New Jerseyans with preexisting conditions.

• Reality: Trump’s testing “strategy” only aims to provide tests for 2% of New Jerseyans. And even as experts warned of a coming pandemic, Trump sent record shipments of N95 masks overseas.