In July 14 remarks in the White House Rose Garden, President Donald Trump made a series of false, misleading and unsupported statements about the novel coronavirus and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s position on it.
Issues: coronavirus
Bogus Quote on Projected Deaths of Children Attributed to DeVos
DeVos’ Outdated Statistic on School Efforts
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos used an outdated figure in claiming only 10% of school districts had “provided any kind of real curriculum and instruction program” after the coronavirus pandemic caused schools to shut down this spring. That was the case for 82 districts in late March, but by late April, 56% were doing so. In late May, the figure was 67%.
‘Face Mask Exempt Card’ Isn’t Legitimate
A “face mask exempt card” shared on social media invokes the Americans with Disabilities Act and claims to excuse people from wearing face masks. But the group behind the card — “Freedom to Breathe Agency” — is not a government agency, and federal officials say the ADA “does not provide a blanket exemption” from requirements to wear masks.
Navarro Doesn’t Give Full Picture On Hydroxychloroquine
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has promoted the “astonishing” results of an observational study that found hydroxychloroquine was associated with lower mortality for patients hospitalized for COVID-19. But the study has limitations, and multiple randomized controlled trials have found the drug is not beneficial to hospitalized patients.
Meme Misconstrues Efficacy of Face Masks in Spread of COVID-19
Trump’s False Claim on Coronavirus Harm
Video Presents Flawed Test on Masks, Oxygen Levels
Painting of Children in Masks Isn’t a 1994 Airport Mural
COVID-19 Cases and Deaths, By the Numbers
Noting that the United States accounts for about one-quarter of global COVID-19 cases and deaths, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the U.S. has “the worst record of any country in the world.” While the U.S. has the most confirmed cases and deaths by a wide margin, it does not have the most in either category on a per-capita basis.