‘Trump Death Clock’ in Times Square Blames President for More Than 50,000 Covid-19 Deaths

Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

A new billboard in Times Square entitled “Trump Death Clock” displays the number of Covid-19 deaths one filmmaker attributes to President Donald Trump’s “inaction.” The number has already reached over 50,000 — more than half of the United States’ 83,000 deaths due to the virus as of Wednesday afternoon.

Its creator, Eugene Jarecki, explained his reasoning for the meter and how he calculates the numbers of deaths to attribute to Trump in The Washington Post last week.

Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has stated that, had the guidelines been implemented earlier, a crucial period in the exponential spread of the virus would have been mitigated and American lives saved. Leading epidemiologists have put a finer point on this, estimating that 50 to 80 percent of covid-19 deaths in New York and approximately 90 percent of all American Covid-19 deaths can now be attributed to the administration’s delay between March 2 and 16.

This suffering cannot be forgotten. As of today, tens of thousands of Americans have lost their lives as a consequence of the administration’s failure to act sooner, so it’s no wonder the president excoriates reporters who ask him why he waited so long to implement the guidelines. Trump’s fallback when he is under scrutiny is to deflect, attack, and distract. But will this work when his decisions have led to a loss of American lives? How will the President be held responsible?

Jarecki said he hopes the clock will “honor those who lost their lives and, in their memory, demand more responsive and responsible leadership.” He also wants other cities and areas of the United States to display similar billboards.

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