From the Guidelines
Approximately 400,000 Americans died from COVID-19 during Donald Trump's presidency. This number is based on the timeline of the pandemic in the United States, with the first confirmed death occurring in February 2020 and the death toll reaching about 400,000 by the time Trump left office on January 20,2021 1. The pandemic's impact was significant, with the total U.S. COVID-19 deaths later exceeding one million. Some key factors that influenced COVID-19 outcomes during this period include:
- Population density and healthcare access
- Policy responses at the federal, state, and local levels
- Adherence to public health measures
- The Trump administration's pandemic response, which included travel restrictions, Operation Warp Speed to accelerate vaccine development, and the declaration of a national emergency. It's worth noting that the Trump administration's response was criticized for downplaying the virus's severity at times and for inconsistent messaging about preventive measures, which may have contributed to the high death toll 1. However, many factors beyond presidential administration policies influenced COVID-19 outcomes, including state and local government decisions, healthcare system capacity, and individual behaviors.
From the Research
COVID-19 Deaths Under Trump Administration
- The exact number of millions of deaths under Trump during the COVID-19 pandemic is not directly stated in the provided studies. However, the studies provide estimates of excess mortality and COVID-19-attributable deaths in the United States during the pandemic period.
- According to the study 2, excess mortality in the United States during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic was estimated to be between 100,013 and 127,501, which is higher than the official COVID-19 mortality count of 78,834.
- The study 3 estimated that 766,611 deaths attributable to COVID-19 occurred in the United States from March 8,2020, to May 29,2021, with 184,477 (24%) of these deaths not documented on death certificates.
- The study 4 estimated that roughly 9.7 million years of life lost (YLLs) were due to COVID-19 deaths in the United States during the first two years of the pandemic.
- The study 5 estimated that an estimated 1,179,024 excess deaths occurred during the first two years of the pandemic, with 634,830 excess deaths in the first year and 544,194 in the second year.
- The study 6 estimated that 268,176 excess deaths were not reported as COVID-19 deaths during the first two years of the pandemic, representing 23.7% of all excess deaths that occurred.
Excess Mortality Estimates
- The studies provide different estimates of excess mortality, but all suggest that the official COVID-19 death counts underestimate the true mortality burden of the pandemic 2, 3, 5, 6.
- The estimates of excess mortality vary by location, with some areas experiencing higher excess mortality rates than others 5, 6.
- The studies also suggest that excess mortality was higher in certain demographic groups, such as older adults and those living in non-metropolitan areas 3, 5, 6.