COVID Misinformation Continues After Trump Tests Positive

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Even with President Trump’s positive COVID-19 status, the White House is not missing an opportunity to mislead the public about the pandemic — standing in the way of science and putting more American lives at risk. Since the president tested positive, he has spread dangerous sentiments, including telling people, “Don’t be afraid of Covid,” and that “we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal [than the seasonal flu]!!!”

“Months into this public health crisis, we have lost more than 210,000 lives and infections are once more on the rise. But even after testing positive for the virus, President Trump has continued to spread misinformation about its severity and consequences — potentially endangering even more lives,” said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US. “The pandemic is far from over. Especially now, the White House should be telling people to be more cautious, not to let their guards down and accept a new normal.”

With more than 210,000 lives lost in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, it’s long been clear that the Trump administration’s mismanaged, incompetent response to COVID-19 has been a failure. But the administration is continuing to cause harm this week by:

• Blocking new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine guidelines.
• Consulting with drug companies, including Pfizer, as it worked to block the stricter guidance on vaccines — seemingly usurping the authority of scientists and public health experts to do so.
• Hindering efforts to contact trace within the White House following several top officials receiving positive COVID-19 test results.
• Failing to confirm that President Trump is past the point of being contagious before his return to the White House — even as new cases in staff members are popping up.

###