In Last 24 Hours, Trump Doubles Down on Conspiracy Theories, Lies, and Failed Leadership
November 2, 2020
At each of his potential superspreader rallies over the last 24 hours, Trump has reminded Americans of his failure to confront the crises facing our country. As cases surge to record highs across the U.S., Trump downplayed the coronavirus, suggested he would fire Dr. Fauci in the middle of the pandemic, and even mocked Vice President Biden for saying he will “follow the science.”
In Rome, GA, Trump mocked Vice President Biden for saying he will “follow science” and endorsed QAnon conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene.
ABC News’s Will Steakin: “Trump mocks Biden for saying: ‘I want to follow science.’”
TRUMP: “Marjorie Taylor Greene … She’s great … has my full and complete endorsement.”
In Opa-locka, FL, Trump said he might fire Dr. Fauci while lying that the U.S. is “rounding the turn” on the coronavirus as cases and hospitalizations surge.
CROWD CHANTS: “Fire Fauci!”
TRUMP: “Don’t tell anybody, but let me wait until a little bit after the election. I appreciate the advice.”
Politico: “The suggestion from the president came just minutes after midnight at a campaign rally in Opa-locka, Fla., where Trump again claimed the United States was ‘rounding the turn’ in its fight against the coronavirus, even though the country has set records in recent days for new cases.”
In Fayetteville, NC, Trump barely mentioned the coronavirus, which infected a record 99,000 Americans on Friday.
CNBC: “Trump targets adversaries in his final pitch, while Biden focuses on Covid-19”
New York Times: “At his first of five rallies, speaking to a crowd in Fayetteville, N.C., Mr. Trump mentioned the coronavirus only in passing, to mock China, and to call on the governor of North Carolina to open the state. Instead, he began with a lengthy complaint about media-sponsored political polls. The crowd was mostly silent throughout.”
New York Times: “Across the country, reports of new cases remain at their highest levels yet. More than 99,000 cases were announced on Friday in the United States, a single-day record, and more than 20 states have set weekly case records recently.”
In Avoca, PA, Trump downplayed the coronavirus and lied about his record by claiming the United States has “better numbers” than every other country.
TRUMP: “We have better numbers than all of them.”
CNN: “US coronavirus cases break global daily record, and experts warn it will only get worse”
NBC News: “Several measures of economic recovery show that the U.S. has fallen behind China and several other major countries during the global coronavirus pandemic.”
In Traverse City, MI, Trump lied about the timeline for a vaccine — after promising one before Election Day and being contradicted by Dr. Fauci and other scientists.
TRUMP: “We will mass distribute the vaccine in just a few weeks.”
CNN: “Experts will know by early December whether a potential coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective, but widespread availability will probably not happen until next year, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday.”