By Melvin A. Goodman, 
Trump And Pence And The War On Science
“Science denialism” is the worst aspect of the current political climate because it is costing lives. Donald Trump and Mike Pence are leading the movement, even supporting the notion that vaccines cause autism. Pence denies evolution as a concept. Trump’s hostility to science led to the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. Further, there was a two-year delay in the appointment of a director to the White House Office of Science and Technology, the science adviser to the President.
The fact that Trump turned to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a special advisor to deal with the pandemic is grotesque. Kushner turned around and created a team of “volunteers” who came from big management consultancies for the most part. As the Washington Post stated, the team had “no significant experience in health care, procurement or supply-chain operations.” So, it is no surprise that the United States has failed so miserably in dealing with a rampaging pandemic, unlike Asian countries that have had considerable success.
More than 50 former government scientists and public health officials have called for a science-based approach to the pandemic, criticizing the Trump administration for marginalizing science and expertise. They also expressed concern over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization, emphasizing that “scientists must be free to coordinate with their peers around the world.”
Trump Does Great Harm
Trump has regularly flouted his own administration’s guidelines by refusing to wear a mask in public and holding indoor political events where most attendees are without masks. He continues to say that the virus would simply “disappear” on its own despite rising deaths and nearly 3 million confirmed infections in the United States. The United States has a little more than four percent of the world’s population and about 25 percent of coronavirus infections.
- Trump tweeted on July 6th that “our great testing program continues to lead the world by FAR.” In a Fourth of July speech, he claimed that “no other country will show, because no other country has testing that we have–not in terms of the numbers or in terms of the quality.” In actual fact, the U.S. testing program trails far behind key European and Asian states and cannot keep up with the demands in states facing a worsening situation such as Arizona.
- Trump claims that 99% of COVID-19 cases are “totally harmless,” which is not merely a lie, but a cruel lie. Many patients fortunate to survive a lengthy hospitalization will suffer debilitating long-term effects, including impaired lung function, neurological problems, and cognitive deficits.
Pence Does More Harm Than Trump
Ever since the beginning of the crisis, Pence has misstated our testing capacity, claiming that “we will literally test anyone who comes into a testing site or to their local pharmacy.” In fact, there are still shortages in testing capabilities, particularly in such hard-hit states as Arizona.
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- Pence often states that “We flattened the curve,” which is simply false. Cases of coronavirus are increasing throughout the country, and newer cases involve serious illnesses.
- Pence claimed that “all 50 states and territories across this country are opening; up safely and responsibly.” This is also false, and many states are pausing or reversing course after the spike in the wake of the Memorial Day celebrations. In two or three weeks, we will learn how much damage was done during the fourth of July celebrations. It was Pence who said in April that the crisis would be over by Memorial Day.
- Pence said that “Fatalities are declining all across the country.” This is misleading because such states as Arizona, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas are holding steady or finding that fatalities are rising. The problem in making projections is that deaths always lag considerably behind cases, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert.
More than 130,000 Americans have lost their lives to the disease, which is more than those Americans who died in World War I (116,516). By encouraging broad skepticism about essential health measures, Trump and Pence have created a huge constituency for fighting preventable deaths. As a result, the pandemic is closing in on Trump…and the entire country.
The opinions expressed by Mel are wholly his own and do not imply in any way Florida Veterans For Common Sense, Inc. endorsement or agreement.