White House Science Office Declares “Mission Accomplished” on COVID19 As US Cases Hit Record Highs
Donald Trump’s wish finally came true on Tuesday as he forced the White House Science Office to back up his claims that America has defeated the coronavirus, declaring “Mission Accomplished” even as the United States continues to suffer from the widespread virus that has taken nearly 230,000 lives. But the White House science office put “ending the COVID-19 pandemic” at the top of the list of Trump accomplishments from his first term.
It’s similar to the moment former President George W. Bush landed on an aircraft carrier with a large “Mission Accomplished” banner behind him. Bush said that major combat operations in Iraq had ended, but it was a lie, as years of struggles continued necessitating troop surges and more. The official “end” to the Iraq War wasn’t until Dec. 18, 2011, when all troops were pulled out of the country.
(Trump image courtesy @GPlusB)
Similarly, Trump is responsible for 8.7 million cases and has a body count nearing 240,000 a week before Election Day. Despite the White House’s grandiose pronouncement, the reality is that the country has reached the worst part of the COVID-19 pandemic, and things are only predicted to get worse as the cold winter drives people indoors where the virus spreads faster. America hit record numbers of coronavirus infections this past weekend, with 83,000 in one day, and there are currently at least 42,000 hospitalizations overwhelming medical resources.
Twitter users were also quick to point out the hypocrisy in declaring victory over something your Chief of Staff admitted you had stopped fighting altogether.
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
https://twitter.com/JamesKosur/status/1321167092041830406
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