Trump Claims ‘VERY High Marks’ For COVID Response As Death Toll Approaches 189k

President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up during the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference and Exposition in Chicago, Illinois on October 28, 2019. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump patted himself on the back for his widely panned response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reached a death toll of nearly 189,000 in the U.S. as of Monday morning.

“Starting to get VERY high marks in our handling of the Coronavirus (China Virus), especially when compared to other countries and areas of the world,” Trump tweeted on Monday.

It is unclear where the “marks” are coming from. The White House did not immediately respond to TPM’s request for clarification.

The President also claimed that vaccines for the virus “are coming, and fast!”

According to Johns Hopkins University, 188,979 Americans have died from COVID-19, and there are 6.28 million cases in the country.

After dragging his feet with regards to looming virus in early 2020, Trump has shown signs of manipulating the government’s response to COVID-19 to boost himself politically, such as attempting to rush the FDA’s vaccine approval process despite safety concerns and finding ways to artificially deflate the number of cases in the U.S.

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