U.S. Nears 100,000 Deaths from COVID-19 as Trump Shuns Face Masks

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus outbreak is fast approaching 100,000.  As lockdowns ease across the United States and other countries around the world, the World Health Organization is warning of a second peak of coronavirus cases. The WHO urged countries to step up testing and tracking. 

Across the globe, the pandemic has killed over 345,000, but that is believed to be an undercount. 

President Trump spent parts of the Memorial Day weekend playing golf and using his Twitter account to attack his political enemies, spread conspiracy theories and amplify the messages of some of his racist followers.  He retweeted multiple personal attacks on House Leader Nancy Pelosi and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, attacking Pelosi’s physical appearance and Abrams’s weight.  He also reposted a tweet referring to Hillary Clinton as a “skank.”

On Memorial Day, the president refused to wear a mask during events at Arlington Cemetery and Fort McHenry. Meanwhile, he shared a tweet mocking Joe Biden for wearing a mask while visiting a veteran’s memorial in Delaware.  Earlier, North Dakota Republican Governor Doug Burgum made an emotional plea asking residents to avoid what he called “mask shaming.”