As wealthy countries across the globe begin to reopen, the United States is still grappling with nationwide spikes of the virus that's upended daily life in the country.
The European Union announced that it would allow residents from over a dozen countries to begin traveling to Europe as the union eases flight restrictions from abroad. The United States is not one of those countries.
Nevertheless, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany took to the podium to claim that the U.S. is doing an exemplary job in its handling of the pandemic outbreak.
Watch below.
“I think the world is looking at us as a leader in Covid-19," says White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany whe… https://t.co/cphHS3sUeB— Bloomberg QuickTake (@Bloomberg QuickTake) 1594058350.0
When asked how the rest of the world is viewing the United States, McEnany said:
"I think the world is looking at us as a leader...because the chart I showed you where you have the mortality rate in Italy and UK up here and across Europe, and you have the United States at a low case mortality rate, it's because of the extraordinary work that we've done on therapeutics, on getting PPE, and leading on ventilators and having excess ventilators that we were able to deploy around the world and help other countries."
In the early stages of the outbreak, the United States experienced a deadly shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies. Due to a lack of federal response, governors were left to their own devices to acquire this equipment for their states, often resulting in bidding wars.
The United States, unlike other countries, continues to break its new case records. Deaths as a result of these new cases are expected to increase. States like Texas are facing the possibility of overflowing hospitals.
In a way, McEnany is right: the United States leads the world in both the number of cases and the raw number of deaths.
@atrupar Leader? In number of cases??? https://t.co/sijfA5NN98— Terry Jordon (@Terry Jordon) 1594058864.0
@atrupar We are leaders. We have more cases and deaths. Go, America! 🙄— Jay (@Jay) 1594059013.0
@atrupar Well, if you're looking at it in terms of deaths, total infections, ineptitude of response, and ignorance… https://t.co/XK1nDztFKp— ChurchLady (@ChurchLady) 1594058959.0
@atrupar Leading in cases and deaths, yes! Leading in mismanagement and deadly denial, exactly! For once I agree with her.— KWK (@KWK) 1594059126.0
Many Americans sense that the rest of the world is laughing at the United States.
@QuickTake The World: https://t.co/sf91FOjNai— Tennis Takes (@Tennis Takes) 1594058826.0
@QuickTake Ummm, EU closed its borders to the US.— Viktor Bezic (@Viktor Bezic) 1594058558.0
@atrupar My suspicions confirmed. This lady doesn’t read or she’d know what a laughing stock our country had been i… https://t.co/SKvS1Wmjb2— B D (@B D) 1594064050.0
People watching from outside of the United States disagreed with her claim.
@atrupar No @PressSec . I can assure you NONE of the rest of us are viewing the U.S as a "leader" in Covid19 respon… https://t.co/DLEiLYp4kC— Muba0507 (@Muba0507) 1594059159.0
@atrupar We are not. (UK)— Carol-Anne Lennie (@Carol-Anne Lennie) 1594058870.0
@atrupar @PressSec we are cowering in fear in UK that our own Dear Leader May take @potus seriously (on anything) a… https://t.co/MG5UzbzsT3— kathryn f (@kathryn f) 1594059179.0
Cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the country.