A day after the United States topped 100,000 deaths from the Coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump joined the expression of grief for the families of those who have died in the pandemic which has swept around the globe.
"We have just reached a very sad milestone with the coronavirus pandemic deaths reaching 100,000," the President wrote on Twitter, as he expressed his 'heartfelt sympathy' to family and friends of the dead.
As the numbers hit 100,000 on Wednesday, the President made no statement about death toll, as leading Democrats took on that role instead.
"God Bless each and every one of you and the blessed memory of the one you lost," former Vice President Biden said in a video message from his home in Delaware.
We have just reached a very sad milestone with the coronavirus pandemic deaths reaching 100,000. To all of the families & friends of those who have passed, I want to extend my heartfelt sympathy & love for everything that these great people stood for & represent. God be with you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2020
There are moments in our history so grim, so heart-rending, that they're forever fixed in each of our hearts as shared grief. Today is one of those moments. 100,000 lives have now been lost to this virus.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 27, 2020
To those hurting, I'm so sorry for your loss. The nation grieves with you. pic.twitter.com/SBBRKV4mPZ
"One hundred thousand," said Rep. Val Demings (D-FL). Those we have lost can’t just be a number. A statistic. A line in a history book. They were our friends, our loved ones, our children and grandparents."
While calling the 100,000 deaths 'tragic,' Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said all sides need to be paying more attention to the large number of deaths in nursing homes and assisted living facilities around the nation.
"Seniors in these settings should be a top focus of our prevention efforts," Rubio said on Thursday.
In some states, the nursing home deaths represent an overwhelming share of Coronavirus losses, over 80 percent in Minnesota, 70 percent in Ohio, and near 50 percent in Florida and Georgia.
MN Dept. of Health reports 33 new COVID-19 deaths, tied for the highest one-day total so far. At least 27 were in long-term care facilities (one listed as unknown). So at least 82% in LTC. Overall, 759 of 932 deaths in LTC (81%), the highest % in nation.https://t.co/7adH4iOxuw
— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 27, 2020
Democrats continued to blame the President and his administration for not being better prepared, as an old tweet from October 2019 by Joe Biden became a focal point on Twitter.
"We are not prepared for a pandemic," Biden said that day. "Trump has rolled back progress President Obama and I made to strengthen global health security. We need leadership that builds public trust, focuses on real threats, and mobilizes the world to stop outbreaks before they reach our shores."
We are not prepared for a pandemic. Trump has rolled back progress President Obama and I made to strengthen global health security. We need leadership that builds public trust, focuses on real threats, and mobilizes the world to stop outbreaks before they reach our shores. https://t.co/1qqpgayUEX
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 25, 2019
Cox Media Group