DGA Vice Chair Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Responds to Trump Blaming Blue States For COVID-19 Death Toll

At a press conference on Wednesday, President Trump blamed the United States’ high COVID-19 death toll on states run by Democratic governors. Trump said, “If you take the blue states out, we’re at a level that I don’t think anybody in the world would be at. We’re really at a very low level.”

The President’s theory is false. According to an analysis by the Washington Post, states that went for President Trump in the 2016 election have reported more than 90,000 COVID-19 deaths, and since mid-June, a majority of the new COVID-19 deaths each day have been in so-called “red states.”

Democratic Governors Association Vice Chair New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham released the following statement in response:

“We’ve lost nearly 200,000 Americans to COVID-19. Now is the time to unite the country and beat back this virus together, not to be playing the blame game. This isn’t a red or blue state issue – it’s an American issue. The virus doesn’t stop at state borders, and it doesn’t care which political party you support.

“Democratic governors are leading in this crisis, but leadership from the President could go a long way in fighting COVID-19. We need a national mask mandate, federal cash assistance to states, testing and contact tracing strategies, and a President who displays empathy and strength.”