Donald Trump on Saturday took his arrogant exaggerations to a new level by claiming he likely saved “billions” of lives with his measures against COVID-19. The entire population of the U.S. is just 330 million. Meanwhile, experts have said his inaction likely cost countless lives in the country.
Trump had claimed Monday that he saved “tens of thousands” or possibly “hundreds of thousands” of lives because in late January he restricted foreign nationals from entering the country if they’d been in China the previous two weeks. The restrictions did not apply to Americans, however, allowing a conduit for the disease to enter the U.S.
Trump made his outlandish “billions” claim because in late January he restricted foreign nationals from entering the country if they’d been in China the previous two weeks. The restrictions did not apply to Americans, however, allowing a conduit for the disease to enter the U.S.
“Based on some models, the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. was predicted to reach 100,000 to 220,000, he noted. “I really believe it could have been billions of people who died had we not done what we did,” he added. “We made a lot of good decisions.”
It’s uncertain how many people will ultimately die of COVID-19. But several experts have said that Trump’s months of inaction, with a lack of testing, disease contact isolation and early social distancing measures, likely cost countless lives in America.
Trump, however, declared Saturday that the U.S. has “produced dramatically better health outcomes than any other country with the possible exception of Germany.”
"It could have been billions of people if we had not done what we did" — Trump absurdly claims that his move to restrict travel from China saved a billion or more lives pic.twitter.com/GbkI4ozs8F
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 18, 2020
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