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While the Presidential oath of office is a commitment to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” it is commonly accepted that the president’s number one job, and “most solemn duty,” as George W. Bush said at the 2004 Republican National Convention is: “to protect the American people.”
As we turn the page on the plague year of 2020, it’s important to record exactly where things stand on January 1, 2021.
According to the The COVID Tracking Project, more than 125,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19—a new peak.
According to the current data on the Worldometers website:
354,381 Americans died of COVID-19 in 2020.
3,438 died just yesterday.
7,318 died in the past two days.
More than 1 in 1,000 Americans died of COVID-19 in 2020.
Under Trump, the US leads the world in COVID-19 deaths and Americans were more than 4X more likely to die of the disease in 2020 than the average human on the planet. And it didn’t have to happen.
In Australia, only 909 people have died. In New Zealand, only 25.
In Japan, only 3,349 people have died. In Taiwan, only 7.
Of the 219 countries and territories measured by Worldometers, you would have had a better chance of surviving COVID-19 in 206 of them than you would have had in Trump’s America.
While the data from many countries may be faulty, manipulated or incomplete, the basic facts are undeniable. Under any other President than Donald Trump, it would have been possible to save tens of thousands—even hundreds of thousands—of American lives.
Despite Covid now killing more people on a daily basis than died on 9/11, some MAGA morons, like demented actor Kevin Sorbo, still echo Trump’s “don’t let Covid dominate your life” philosophy.
Of course, non-mask wearers like Trump-loving Congressman-elect Luke Letlow are now dying more and more often. (41-year-old Letlow leaves behind a wife and two young children.)
But even worse than non-mask wearers infecting themselves is the damage they are doing to others who do take all precautions. Covid is like smoking—it doesn’t just kill the smoker.
And the biggest smoke-blower of all is Donald Trump.
Trump accelerated the spread of Covid with his stupidity and recklessness
Could Trump have stopped COVID-19 from killing so many in New York and other “Blue States” and densely populated cities? Of course he could. But even after that happened, his relentless stupidity has ensured the virus kept spreading—even to states where it could have been more easily contained with testing, contact tracing and the commonsense use of face masks and social distancing.
Trump has encouraged his moronic supporters to mock masks and inspired them to intimidate everyone from politicians to delivery people to baristas and retail employees.
And he’s made it impossible for GOP Governors—even those smart enough to know better—to perform their own solemn duty to protect citizens in their own states.
Thanks to Trump, these are now the five most infected states in America:
North Dakota
In May, GOP Governor Doug Burgum fought back tears discussing masks during his daily press briefing about coronavirus. Today, North Dakota has the highest infection rate in the nation and more than 1 in 600 people in North Dakota have died of COVID-19.
South Dakota
South Dakota has the second highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country and more than 1 in 600 South Dakotans have died. This week, a federal judge said GOP Governor Kristi Noem “has done little, if anything,” to stop the spread.
Iowa
Iowa’s GOP Governor Kim Reynolds followed Trump’s lead in downplaying the virus and never imposed a full stay-at-home order. In November, the test-positivity rate reached 50%. Iowa now has America’s 3rd highest infection rate. Nearly 1 in 800 Iowans have died of COVID-19.
Utah
As COVID-19 ravaged Utah in September, GOP Governor Gary Herbert refused to enact any new restrictions. By October, Utah hospitals announced they would have to begin rationing care. Today, Utah has America's 4th highest coronavirus infection rate.
Nebraska
In June, Nebraska’s GOP Governor Pete Ricketts told local officials they could not mandate face masks if they wanted federal coronavirus-relief funding. In October, thousands of Nebraskans were left stranded in the cold after a Trump rally in Omaha. Since that rally, cases in Nebraska have skyrocketed from 65,000 to 167,000, and the state now has the country’s 5th highest COVID-19 infection rate.
Trump even failed in his promise to vaccinate 20 million in 2020.
Trump once promised that infections in the US were going to zero. Reality: As 2021 begins, more than 20 million Americans have now been infected.
Meanwhile, Trump’s pledge that 20 million Americans would be vaccinated before year-end now sits as the latest massive failure atop the trash heap of his broken promises.
354,381 Americans have already died of COVID-19. By the time Trump leaves office in 19 days, that total will be above 400,000—more than America’s total combat fatalities in World War Two.
It’s an unacceptable, mostly preventable death toll—and it’s entirely the fault of the one man whose duty it was to protect us: Donald Trump.
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