Why Sidelining Science is the Worst Mistake During a Pandemic

FEATURING ANITA DESIKAN – The recent testimonies of two leading government scientists, Dr. Rick Bright at the House, and Dr. Anthony Fauci at the Senate this week offered a stark assessment of just how seriously the Trump White House is ignoring the advice of experts in its coronavirus response.

The Trump administration’s claims are so ludicrous and contradictory that they are  dizzying: testing is not important except for White House staff who are tested daily. Tests are available to everyone who needs them but too much testing can lead to too many infections. The US should expect 100,000 people to die but the official death toll has been greatly exaggerated. And on and on.

With so much chaos, confusion, and denial of science and reality emanating from the nation’s top leadership, Americans are essentially left to their own devices to navigate the world’s worst health crisis in a century.

Anita Desikan, Research Analyst with the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.