Mitt Romney’s not buying it. The Utah Republican blasted the Trump administration for “celebrating” coronavirus testing at Monday’s White House news conference. Romney was appearing remotely at a Senate hearing that was headlined by Dr. Anthony Fauci and HHS official Admiral Brett Girior.
He was especially upset about statements Giroir made at the White House yesterday about coronavirus testing in the United States being double that in South Korea. Romney said the Asian nation began testing much earlier and had a more controlled outbreak.
“I understand the politicians are going to frame data in a way that’s most positive politically. Of course, I don’t expect that from admirals,” Romney told Giroir. “But yesterday, you celebrated that we had done more tests and more tests per capita even in South Korea.”
Business Insider writes: “Romney went on to point out that American population is six times larger than South Korea’s, but the US has had about 300 times the number of coronavirus deaths as the Asian country.”
“I find our testing record nothing to celebrate whatsoever,” he said. “The fact is, their testing is going down, down, down, down now … ours our going up, up, up as they have to.”
Romney then asked Dr. Anthony Fauci if it was former president Barack Obama’s fault that the U.S. didn’t have a vaccine for COVID-19, as has been alleged by Donald Trump. Fauci said it was not Obama’s or Trump’s fault.
He also said the premature opening of states presents many risks.
Dr. Fauci also saids the number of COVID-19 deaths is likely higher than the official count which now tops 80,000.
