Trump Administration Hopes “Americans Will Grow Numb” to Coronavirus Death Toll, New Report Claims

X Facebook Email Flipboard Pinterest Print Reddit

The White House is hoping Americans will become “numb” to the rising death toll from Covid-19, according to a new report from The Washington Post. The news comes amid reports that Trump thinks the country must “live with” the virus.

“The goal is to convince Americans that they can live with the virus,” the Post reports.

“White House officials also hope Americans will grow numb to the escalating death toll and learn to accept tens of thousands of new cases a day, according to three people familiar with the White House’s thinking.”

Americans will have to “live with the virus being a threat” while life gets back to normal. This will mean schools reopening, and an end to social distancing and other public health measures.

One former administration official spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity and tried to explain the administration’s thinking.

“They’re of the belief that people will get over it or if we stop highlighting it, the base will move on and the public will learn to accept 50,000 to 100,000 new cases a day,” the source said.

President Trump has downplayed the significance of the Coronavirus from the beginning, even fighting with state governors over ventilators and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

His attempts to dismiss the global pandemic hasn’t ended, however. Over the weekend, Trump falsely claimed that 99% of Coronavirus cases were “harmless” and downplayed deaths – now surpassing 132,000.

Follow Darragh Roche on Twitter