Trump made the nonsensical claim that more Americans are dying from having to stay in their houses than are dying from the coronavirus.
Trump said:
You look at Pennsylvania as an example, if you look at various other states, I will get into the people want to go back. The numbers are getting to a point where they can. It just seems to be no effort on certain blue states to get back into gear. The people aren’t going to stand for it. They want to get back. They’re not going to stand for it.
They want our country open. I want our country open too. I want it open safely, but I want it open. Don’t forget, people are dying the other route. You can go with the enclosed route. Everything is closed up. You’re in your house, you’re not allowed to move. People are dying with that too. You look at drug addiction, suicides and some of the things that are taking place. People are dying that way too. You can make the case it’s in even greater numbers. It’s a situation that some people and I’ve noticed that some states could be moving more quickly and also at the same time safety.
Video:
Trump attacks Pennsylvania and claims more people are dying from stay at home orders than the coronavirus. #TrumpPressConference pic.twitter.com/o7BiWeIsWB
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 11, 2020
Trump didn’t cite any statistics to back up his claim, because there aren’t any. Polling shows that the vast majority of people around the country and in Pennsylvania, do not want the state to reopen until it is safe to do so. A Fox News Poll found that Wolf has a 69% approval rating for his handling of the virus and that 62% of Pennsylvanians want him to wait to reopen, even if it harms the economy. Wolf’s approval rating is also 18 points higher than Trump’s in the state.
Trump is whining about Pennsylvania, which might already be out of reach for him because he can’t win reelection without the Keystone State.
There hasn’t been a wave of death in Pennsylvania due to the stay at home order. Gov. Wolf is using a phased opening strategy that is working for the state, even if it kills Trump’s odds of winning Pennsylvania.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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