Coronavirus cases across the United States continued to rise Saturday. Florida recorded 11,458 new daily infections, just shy of New York state's one-day record of 11,571 positive tests in April. Texas, where hospitals are becoming more and more strained, broke its own record for the sixth straight day with 8,258 cases. Health experts are worried cases will continue to rise after the July 4 weekend, but despite the trajectory, President Trump struck an optimistic tone in an Independence Day speech at the White House on Saturday.
The president once again focused heavily on the preservation of statues and monuments in his speech, echoing one from the previous day at Mount Rushmore. "We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our history, indoctrinate our children, or trample on our freedom," he said, vowing to defeat the "radical left." But when he did turn his attention to the coronavirus, he defended his administration's response, arguing "we've made a lot of progress" and "we've learned how to put out the flame."
He also doubled down on his belief that the spike in cases was tied to an increase in testing even though positivity rates are actually climbing in several states, and claimed that "99 percent" of cases are "totally harmless." While it's true the infection fatality rate may be much lower than has been recorded due to uncounted mild or asymptomatic cases, there have already been nearly 130,000 deaths since the pandemic began in the U.S., and there are indications severe cases can lead to long-term health issues in patients.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Margaret Atwood’s ‘deliciously naughty’ memoirIn the Spotlight ‘Bean-spilling’ book by The Handmaid’s Tale author is ‘immensely readable’
-
Being a school crossing guard has become a deadly jobUnder the Radar At least 230 crossing guards have been hit by cars over the last decade
-
Crossword: November 4, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
