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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Trump’s Statements About the Coronavirus

Trump’s Statements About the Coronavirus

President Donald Trump said on March 17, “I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.” While it’s not possible to know what Trump “felt,” there’s no doubt that Trump had minimized the threat of the new coronavirus for weeks in statement after statement.

Viral Posts Falsely Align Viruses to Election Years

Viral Posts Falsely Align Viruses to Election Years

Viral posts on social media claim COVID-19 is no worse than other outbreaks that have occurred in “every election year,” suggesting that the new coronavirus is being “hyped” to hurt President Donald Trump. But most of the dates cited to defend those conclusions about previous outbreaks are misleading or incorrect.

A Guide to Our Coronavirus Coverage

A Guide to Our Coronavirus Coverage

We launched a new Coronavirus Coverage page to help readers navigate our website and more easily find the articles they want to read.

Video: The Biden-Sanders Debate

Video: The Biden-Sanders Debate

In this video, we review three claims from the first head-to-head presidential primary debate between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Trump Misrepresents Google Coronavirus Website

Trump Misrepresents Google Coronavirus Website

President Donald Trump and other officials misleadingly suggested that tech behemoth Google was working on a screening website that large numbers of Americans could use to see if they should be tested for the new coronavirus. The website, however, is actually a project of Google’s sister company Verily and is initially limited to the San Francisco Bay Area.

False Claims of Nationwide Lockdown for COVID-19

False Claims of Nationwide Lockdown for COVID-19

The National Security Council is warning Americans of a “FAKE” rumor circulating on social media that falsely claims President Donald Trump will impose a nationwide “mandatory quarantine.”

Gargling Water With Salt Won’t ‘Eliminate’ Coronavirus

Gargling Water With Salt Won’t ‘Eliminate’ Coronavirus

A viral image circulating online is falsely advising social media users that gargling water with salt or vinegar “eliminates” the coronavirus. There is currently “no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus,” according to the World Health Organization.