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The Republican National Convention put President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic front and center on opening night, depicting him as a decisive leader who marshaled resources, forcefully responded to the deadly threat, and “moved mountains” to save American lives. What it didn’t say is that the United States, with more than 5 million cases and more than 175,000 dead, with schools and businesses still closed and millions unemployed, has had one of the worst records on the pandemic in the world. (Kenen, 8/25)

At times, the speakers and prerecorded videos appeared to be describing an alternate reality: one in which the nation was not nearing 180,000 deaths from the coronavirus; in which Mr. Trump had not consistently ignored serious warnings about the disease; in which the president had not spent much of his term appealing openly to xenophobia and racial animus; and in which someone other than Mr. Trump had presided over an economy that began crumbling in the spring. (Martin, Burns and Karni, 8/24)

The novel coronavirus is the issue Trump would rather not have looming over him. ... But the convention began its prime hours Monday night by focusing on the unavoidable topic — and in one major way attempting to rewrite history. The convention played a video featuring Democrats and others who, at one point or another, downplayed the severity of the outbreak. “From the very beginning, Democrats, the media and the World Health Organization got coronavirus wrong,” the narrator said. “The World Health Organization said authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.” (Blake, 8/25)

Amy Johnson Ford, a nurse from rural Virginia, and Dr. G.E. Ghali, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, touted Trump as having acting decisively on defeating the pandemic. Ford praised Trump for expanding telehealth in rural areas, while Ghali applauded Trump for pushing treatments and testing through normally lengthy regulatory timelines. “Let me be clear, as a health care professional, I can tell you without hesitation Donald Trump's quick action and leadership saved thousands of lives during Covid-19,” Ford said. (Oprysko, Choi, Feldscher and Mintz, 8/24)

President Trump met with front-line workers in his first appearance during the first night of the Republican National Convention on Monday. Trump appeared on video with a group of front-line workers — including two nurses, a postal worker, a truck driver, a custodian and a police officer — in the East Room of the White House. “These are the incredible workers that helped us so much with [COVID-19],” Trump told the group of individuals. “These are great, great people, doctors, nurses, firemen, policemen. We want to thank you.” (Chalfant, 8/24)

President Trump’s biggest obstacle to winning a second term in office is the coronavirus pandemic, which has dramatically altered the course of the presidential race and raised serious questions about his leadership. Trump and his campaign have sought to contend with criticism by arguing that China is to blame for the global spread of the virus and that the U.S. government has done everything in its power to steer resources to states. (Easley, 8/24)

President Donald Trump made a dizzying array of misleading claims about voting fraud and health care as fellow Republicans opened their convention with speeches distorting the agenda of his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. Trump falsely asserted that he was the one who ensured that people with preexisting medical problems will be covered by health insurance; actually that was Democratic President Barack Obama. Several speakers accused Biden of proposing to defund police, ban fracking, take over health care and open borders — none of that true. (Yen, Seitz and Woodward, 8/25)