The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has topped 156,000 — by far the highest in the world. On Monday, President Trump lashed out at his top White House coronavirus adviser, Dr. Deborah Birx, after she warned the virus is “extraordinarily widespread.” Trump took to Twitter calling Birx “pathetic.”
Meanwhile, concern is growing that the Trump administration may rush to approve a vaccine to boost the president’s chances of winning in November. The New York Times reveals the Department of Health and Human Services produced a slideshow for the White House in April about developing a vaccine. The first slide read, ”DEADLINE: Enable broad access to the public by October 2020.” The date was in bold letters. One regular participant in White House meetings on vaccine development has been Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is also helping to run his reelection campaign.