The RNC is presenting a revisionist history of Trump's coronavirus response

The Republican National Convention is painting a rosy picture of President Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic, praising his leadership despite the United States leading the world with more than 5.7 million confirmed cases and at least 177,176 deaths.

Amy Johnson Ford, a nurse from West Virginia, said that telehealth has been "essential" during the pandemic, since it allows people to stay home and not have to go into a doctor's office. She stated that Trump "recognized the threat this virus presented for all Americans early on, and made rapid policy changes. And as a result, telehealth services are now accessible to more than 71 million Americans, including 35 million children." The Washington Post notes that this figure is "a theoretical maximum" which "depends on all states taking up a series of recommendations from the Trump administration. The numbers simply reflect total enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP programs jointly run by states and the federal government."

Ford went on to state that "as a health care professional, I can tell you without hesitation that Donald Trump's quick action and leadership saved thousands of lives during COVID-19 and the benefits of that response extend far beyond coronavirus." Following her speech, a video was shown touting Trump for taking "decisive action to save lives," with appearances from Democratic governors, whose words were pieced together to offer praise for Trump.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

The video did not include Trump saying in late January that the U.S. had the coronavirus "totally under control," or all the times he called the pandemic "a hoax" during the spring. It also didn't show him saying in late March that he told Vice President Mike Pence not to call Democratic governors who weren't "appreciative" enough of his response, or his declaration, when asked about the staggering COVID-19 death toll, that "it is what it is."