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Pence’s alternative pandemic world

Vice President Mike Pence described a world in which he and President Trump led Americans’ heroic effort to defeat the coronavirus during last night’s vice presidential debate. The problem is, he described a world that doesn’t exist.

Why it matters: The coronavirus is very much not in control in the U.S., and America’s failed response begins with the individual actions of the president and the vice president themselves.

  • Instead of defending the administration’s decisions and behaviors, Pence acted as if they never happened.

What Pence said: Trump’s decision to shut down travel from China “bought us invaluable time to stand up the greatest national mobilization since World War II, and I believe it saved hundreds of thousands of American lives.”

  • Reality check: The administration botched the initial response to the pandemic, producing a faulty diagnostic test and failing to stop the virus from taking hold across the U.S.
  • Despite the travel ban, the virus clearly found its way into the country. Continue reading.
Data and Research Manager: