Trump called the coronavirus a hoax
| Trump called the coronavirus a hoax | |
|---|---|
| MISLEADING | |
| "At a February 2020 rally, Donald Trump said the coronavirus was a hoax." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | False Context |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | February 2020 |
| Origin | Coverage and political advertising after President Donald Trump's rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, on February 28, 2020 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
At a rally on February 28, 2020, Donald Trump described Democrats' criticism of his administration's coronavirus response as "their new hoax," comparing it to the Russia investigation and impeachment. Many headlines and ads then said Trump had called the virus itself a hoax. That is not what the transcript shows, though Trump did repeatedly play down the virus's danger in early 2020.
The claim
The shortened version, "Trump called the coronavirus a hoax," became a common line in commentary and campaign advertising.
What the evidence shows
- The transcript. Trump referred to Democrats "politicizing" the virus and said "this is their new hoax," after listing previous efforts he called hoaxes.
- His explanation. The next day, Trump said the word referred to the Democrats' criticism, not the virus.
- Downplaying. Separately, Trump said in February 2020 that the virus would go away and that cases would soon be near zero, and he later told journalist Bob Woodward that he had wanted to play it down. Those statements are documented on their own terms.
Why it matters
Accurate criticism is stronger than shortened quotations. A misquote can distract from real, documented statements.
Sources
- Rev.com and C-SPAN, transcript and video of the North Charleston rally, February 28, 2020.
- FactCheck.org, "Trump Didn't Call Coronavirus a Hoax," March 2020.
- Bob Woodward, Rage (Simon & Schuster, 2020).