Trump’s Pandemic Failure Has Led to 200,000 Americans Dead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

CONTACT: press@iowademocrats.org

Trump’s Pandemic Failure Has Led to 200,000 Americans Dead, Tens Of Thousands Of Iowa Jobs Lost

The U.S. surpassed 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths because Trump lied to Americans, yet the GOP is still trying to rip away health care during the pandemic  

DES MOINES — Today, President Trump’s lies face the worst consequences yet as the U.S. surpassed 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. Although Trump admitted to knowing the true danger of the pandemic weeks before there was ever a case in the country, he intentionally downplayed the threat and misled the American people by refusing to provide adequate guidance, resources, or a plan of any kind. Trump still doesn’t have a plan, and his failure to lead has driven our economy into a historic recession and left the American people to shoulder the burden.

Iowa has been one of the states hit hardest by Trump’s mismanagement of the pandemic: over 81,000 Iowans have gotten sick from the virus, over 1,250 have died, and Iowa maintains one of the highest rates of spread in the country, driven by outbreaks in long-term care facilities.

Over six months since the pandemic started, 13 million Americans are still out of work, including over 65,000 Iowans. In Iowa, the economic recovery has slowed in the past few weeks after COVID-19 cases have spiked significantly and the derecho devastated farmers and homeowners. Evidence suggests recovery in Iowa is slower than even the unemployment rate suggests, as Iowans are dropped out of the workforce amid the raging pandemic with no end in sight.

“As our country surpasses 200,000 tragic deaths from COVID-19, it’s important to remember that the crisis did not have to be this bad. President Trump intentionally lied to the American people and downplayed the threat of this virus, and now 200,000 lives have been lost,” said IDP Chair Mark Smith. “Here in Iowa, countless families and loved ones are grieving and tens of thousands of jobs have been destroyed by Trump’s reckless mismanagement of the pandemic. Iowans deserve better from their leaders and they’re ready to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to restore decency to the White House and get our country back on track in November.”