President Donald Trump’s months-long lies about the coronavirus pandemic are the focus of a new ad from Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaign.
The 51-second clip begins with footage of Trump in January claiming Covid-19 will simply “disappear.” Subsequent footage shows Trump repeatedly downplaying the threat of the virus, while acknowledging its danger in private, until the present day.
The United States is now in the grip of a devastating third wave, with experts predicting 100,000 new cases per day in the coming weeks.
The spot ends with a blunt message for voters:
“Over 220,000 Americans have died. Covid-19 is still raging. Trump is still lying.”
Trump has taken a decidedly anti-science approach to tackle the pandemic.
The president has pushed for businesses and schools to reopen in a bid to boost the economy before the election.
He has also flouted his own government’s safety advice in recent weeks, even after contracting the virus himself, to hold multiple campaign rallies, where his supporters stand closely side by side and don’t bother to wear masks.
Biden, meanwhile, has advocated for people to wear masks in a bid to curb the spread of the contagion. The former vice president also said he’d be prepared to shut the country down again if scientists advised.