Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris accused President Donald Trump of calling coronavirus a “hoax” during the vice presidential debate Wednesday.
Harris’ comments came during a question about the Trump administration’s coronavirus response. Vice president Mike Pence led the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which was founded on Jan. 29.
“The president said it was a hoax,” Harris said. “They minimized the seriousness of it.”
WATCH:
Multiple fact checks of Trump’s comments have confirmed that the president never called coronavirus a “hoax.” The Associated Press, CNN, BBC and Annenberg Public Policy Center all refuted the claim.
Democratic political action committee Priorities USA released an ad in September, which repeated the claim. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Avoids Outlining Biden, Harris COVID Strategy)
“Trump did use the word ‘hoax’ but his full comments, and subsequent explanation, make clear he was talking about Democratic attacks on his administration’s handling of the outbreak, not the virus itself,” Annenberg Public Policy Center said of the ad.
Trump declared a national emergency in March as coronavirus spread rapidly around the world. The president’s handling of the pandemic will be a major issue for voters on Nov. 3.
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