Esteemed medical journal blasts Trump's coronavirus response in 'stunning' editorial

Donald Trump
(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

An esteemed medical journal has called out President Trump for his administration's response to the coronavirus crisis in a highly-critical editorial.

In an editorial published this week, The Lancet, a peer-reviewed medical journal, blasts the national response to the coronavirus pandemic as "inconsistent and incoherent" and criticizes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "has seen its role minimized and become an ineffective and nominal adviser" during the crisis.

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It also criticizes the administration for being "obsessed with magic bullets," including a "hope that the virus will simply disappear," alluding to a claim President Trump has made. The editorial ultimately concludes by suggesting Trump should not be re-elected.

"Americans must put a president in the White House come January, 2021, who will understand that public health should not be guided by partisan politics," the op-ed reads.

The New York Times' Maggie Haberman in a Friday appearance on CNN called the editorial "stunning," as "I don't think I have ever heard of such a thing from a medical journal."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.