Mourning 200,000 Americans, Democrats Condemn Trump’s Incompetent COVID-19 Response
September 23, 2020
As the United States’ COVID-19 death toll surpassed 200,000 this week, Democrats across the country slammed Donald Trump for allowing the virus to spread out of control through a failed, incompetent pandemic response. See for yourself:
In Arizona:
Arizona Democratic Party Chair Felecia Rotellini: “As the U.S. surpasses another tragic milestone of 200,000 reported deaths, we remember those we’ve lost and grieve with their families. Our sorrow is matched only by our outrage toward a President whose historic incompetence led us to this grim milestone. Donald Trump knew the coronavirus was deadly and highly transmissible — yet he downplayed it for his own political gain, leading to deaths that could have been prevented and an accompanying economic catastrophe that has cost so many working families and small business owners their livelihoods. To make matters worse, Trump continues his crusade to rip away health care protections from millions of Americans right when they need it the most.”
In Florida:
Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo: “As we mark another tragic milestone in the coronavirus pandemic, we mourn with those who are grieving a loved one. Tragically, our loss did not have to be so great. President Trump knew this would be a deadly pandemic, but ignored the warnings and refused to prepare us for a threat experts saw coming — and we are seeing the heartbreaking consequences of his continued inaction. A president’s ultimate job is to protect the people, and Donald Trump failed. We must hold him accountable in November.”
In Georgia:
Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Nikema Williams: “Our country is grieving for the needless loss of 200,000 lives, after this president downplayed the dangers of COVID-19 virus and our government refused to stop the spread. This pandemic didn’t have to be this bad — Trump’s failed leadership made it worse, and now, Republicans’ campaign to end American healthcare as we know it will put us all in even greater danger. As we enter into our seventh month of dealing with this virus, and as Georgia surges past 300,000 COVID cases, it is crucial that we elect leaders who will take this crisis seriously, listen to scientists, and are strong enough to take the necessary actions that will save lives. We need to elect Joe Biden, Jon Ossoff, and Democrats across Georgia who will take this crisis seriously so we can get back to work safely, and protect our health care.”
In Maine:
Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra: “The United States has reached a grim new milestone as more than 200,000 Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19. But it didn’t have to be this bad. President Trump knew all along how dangerous this disease was, but instead of following the advice of public health experts, he publicly downplayed the threat of the virus. Six months later, he still doesn’t have a plan to deal with the pandemic. When it mattered most, the President’s leadership was ineffective, and we have paid the price. This November, we need to make sure we elect leaders we can count on.”
In Michigan:
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes: “Today, we mourn the 200,000th person to have died from COVID-19. That 200,000 is not just a statistic, it represents real people with friends, family, and loved ones they left behind. It represents nurses, frontline workers, and teachers. The devastating toll of this virus has left our whole nation grieving. It didn’t have to be this bad, but Trump failed us. His failure has caused immeasurable damage to families across Michigan and across our country. This November, we must hold him accountable.”
In Nevada:
Nevada State Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II: “As the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on our nation, we must bear in mind that the terrible toll this pandemic has taken on our communities could have been avoided. Donald Trump understood the threat that the virus posed to public health months ago. But instead of harnessing every tool at the disposal of the federal government to lead our country out of crisis, he lied to the American people, downplayed the virus at every turn, and utterly failed to rise to the occasion. Now, Nevada families are paying the price for Trump’s failures, especially in communities of color, as we face a historic recession, a double-digit unemployment rate, hundreds of thousands out of work, and relentless attacks on our health care even in the midst of a global pandemic.”
In New Hampshire:
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley: “Today, we must remember and support the families of the 200,000 Americans and over 430 Granite Staters affected by each unique loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. But we also should not forget that this national crisis did not have to be this bad. Donald Trump knew how deadly this disease was, but intentionally downplayed the risks, ignored the experts, and failed to create an effective national strategy … Honoring the memory of those 200,000 Americans who have succumbed to COVID-19 will be an ongoing process that takes commitment from all of us. That commitment includes holding Donald Trump accountable for his failed leadership and stopping him from failing us again.”
In North Carolina:
North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Wayne Goodwin: “This grim milestone is a heart wrenching reminder of the losses we continue to endure because of this pandemic and our president’s bungled response. Here in North Carolina, we’ve lost more than 3,000 lives to the virus along with hundreds of thousands of jobs while our case numbers continue to rise. The reality is the situation didn’t have to be this bad; but instead of steady, effective leadership guiding our federal response, we’ve suffered through Donald Trump’s erratic, incoherent management of the situation. While it’s clear Trump isn’t capable of meeting this moment, Joe Biden has the experience and judgement to lead us out of this crisis, and that’s exactly why we need to elect him president on November 3.”
In Ohio:
Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper: “It didn’t have to be this bad — we didn’t have to lose this many friends, neighbors, co-workers and loved ones to this pandemic. But instead of taking action to save as many lives as possible, Donald Trump oversaw a chaotic, incompetent response that allowed the virus to spread out of control. Even now, instead of getting to work as millions continue suffering through this crisis, he’s parachuting into Ohio to offer more empty promises at a pair of potential superspreader events. We can’t afford four more years of this failed leadership, and this November, we’re putting it to an end by sending Joe Biden to the White House.”
In Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair Nancy Patton Mills: “As we cross this threshold, we must also recognize that it didn’t have to be this bad. President Trump certainly didn’t cause the virus, but his administration’s failure to take this crisis seriously has caused horrifying loss … Six months into this crisis, he continues to downplay the threat of the virus, refuses to heed the advice of his own medical experts, and has completely given up on providing a national testing strategy our country so desperately needs. This pandemic has underscored the leadership that our nation needs: leadership that depends on strategy, not chaos; facts, not hunches; and empathy, not indifference. That’s the leadership that Joe Biden will provide.”
In Texas:
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa: “It never had to be this bad. As Trump admitted that he downplayed the effects of the virus, Trump and Abbott continue to fail our families and put politics and raising money over doing their job to stop the spread of this virus. In Texas, the coronavirus is still out of control. More than 14,000 Texans have died and Abbott’s dirty data has threatened our entire recovery.”
In Virginia:
Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker: “As families grieve the losses of their loved ones, I want everyone to know that the DPVA family extends our sincerest condolences. These deaths are even more devastating because this pandemic simply did not have to be this bad. Last week, we found out that President Trump misled the American public about the dangers of the pandemic. His leadership over the past few months has been woefully ineffective, often seeking to divide the country for political gain instead of creating a comprehensive strategy that would combat this disease. Now, we have lost over 200,000 people that we will never get back. Americans need a leader who will put their safety and their interests first. It’s a tragedy that we don’t have that leadership right now, but we can have it again next year if we elect Joe Biden in November.”
In Wisconsin:
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler: “As the US passes 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, our hearts go out to our grieving friends and neighbors as we cross this somber milestone. The victims of this pandemic come from every corner of our state, and each death is a singular tragedy for those they leave behind. Trump and his administration failed us — we know it didn’t have to be this bad. Trump delayed the government’s response, left states to fend for themselves, and politicized the virus when we desperately needed a comprehensive national strategy — all as Trump privately admitted he was downplaying the virus for political gain. For the over 100,000 Wisconsinites who have tested positive for COVID-19 and the millions facing economic hardship in its wake, we eagerly look towards November when we will vote to end Donald Trump’s failed presidency and move forward under Joe Biden’s steady leadership.”