The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy has listed “ending the COVID-19 pandemic” as one of the top achievements of President Donald Trump’s first term, in a stunning distortion of reality as the nation shatters infection records.
The baffling claim came in a press release published Tuesday, that announced a new document highlighting the Trump administration’s strides to advance science and technology.
According to the press release, the new document lauds the Trump administration’s defeat of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that Trump “has taken decisive actions to engage scientists and health professionals in academia, industry, and government to understand, treat, and defeat the disease.”
The false statement follows reporting last week that the United States broke records for the number of new coronavirus cases tallied in a single day and as the virus surges across a number of states while medical facilities bend under the weight of rising hospitalizations for COVID-19.
Trump has made repeated efforts to both undermine the severity of the coronavirus pandemic that has now killed more than 227,000 people in the United States and smear the reputation of scientists and public health officials, while casting doubt over their guidance on curbing the spread of coronavirus.
In speeches and in angry tweets, a scrambling Trump continues to imagine an alternate reality of a virus that is winding down — complaining of the media’s fixation on “COVID, COVID, COVID,” and claiming at multiple rallies in states where the virus is surging unchecked that the nation is “rounding the turn” on COVID-19. He told supporters in Omaha, Nebraska on Tuesday that a return to normal life is imminent, even as public health officials have suggested the nation is on the precipice of a staggering upward trend.
Twitter erupted over the wildly off-base claim to fame:
JUST NOW: "“In a feat of mind-blowing dishonesty and Orwellian-level propaganda, the White House Science Policy Office lists ‘Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic’ as one of the top accomplishments of the President’s first term. They haven't ended anything.” pic.twitter.com/XgQRvbApXQ
— John Berman (@JohnBerman) October 28, 2020
SICKENING—Trump WH releases "Science and Technology Accomplishments from First Term"… it it Trump declares **ENDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC** as his WH accomplishment.
How fubar messed up is that?!?! ?#COVID19 https://t.co/RCXhhhILn9 pic.twitter.com/y2WAE4Dnmf
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 28, 2020
WTF headline of the year?
The White House science office listed "ending the COVID-19 pandemic" as the top accomplishment of President Trump's first term. https://t.co/22vx9v3j28
— Barry Ritholtz (@ritholtz) October 28, 2020
So sad. The White House Office of Science and Technology (OST) was, once upon a time, a totally reliable and apolitical source of scientific and technological information and advice for the Executive Branch, the envy of Congress and academia. Now pure BS.https://t.co/9btnAZ15Bi
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) October 27, 2020
White House OSTP releases "Science and Technology Accomplishments from First Term", includes "ENDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC" as accomplishment.
(guess they dunno what accomplish means?)
https://t.co/kURaSH3AgIincludes statement from noted STEM expert Ivanka Trump pic.twitter.com/tralEAmKIP
— Dan Vergano (@dvergano) October 27, 2020
Oh. My. God.
The Trump administration literally lists "ENDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC" as a major accomplishment from its first term.
There have been 488,498 US coronavirus cases in the last 7 days. https://t.co/rsrb4TnJVs
— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) October 27, 2020
"We have over 200,000 people dead here and [Covid-19] is spiking all over the country, and they're declaring victory." @cornellbelcher on the White House's move to list "ending the Covid-19 pandemic" as one of Trump's first term accomplishments
— The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC ? (@TheBeatWithAri) October 27, 2020
Today the White House sent out a press release of their "accomplishments." It included "Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic."
Saturday was the new single day record for confirmed infections.
— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) October 27, 2020
