Biden Attacks Trump For Saying Doctors Are ‘Making Up COVID Deaths’ To Increase Incomes

At a drive-in campaign rally in St. Paul, Minnesota, Democratic candidate Joe Biden called out President Donald Trump for claiming that doctors are wrongfully increasing COVID-19 statistics to generate additional revenue. “The president of the United States is accusing the medical profession of making up COVID deaths so they make more money,” Biden said on Friday. “Doctors and nurses go to work every day to save lives. They do their jobs. Donald Trump should stop attacking them and do his job.”

Biden’s comments come in response to remarks the president made at a separate rally in Waterford Township, Michigan earlier that day. During his speech, Trump discussed how the U.S. and Germany take different approaches to reporting deaths of individuals with underlying conditions who contract the virus. He asserted that in Germany, someone with both cancer and COVID-19 who died was reported to have died of cancer. On the other hand, he maintained that in the U.S., they would be reported to have died from the virus because “our doctors get more money if someone dies from COVID,” so “when in doubt choose COVID.” He went on to state that “our doctors are smart people, so what they do is say ‘I’m sorry but, you know, everybody dies of COVID.” However, Trump offered no evidence of this claim, which comes the same day as the U.S. reaches nine million confirmed cases. Following these allegations, the head of the American Medical Association condemned any attacks on the motives of healthcare workers as “malicious, outrageous and comply misguided.”

But Trump is not the only one to continue to downplay the the effects of the virus and its death count. Donald Trump Jr., Trump’s son, told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Thursday that “the number is almost nothing.” This remark comes as the reported death toll nears 230,000 Americans.

Biden and Trump continue to demonstrate their different approaches to both combating COVID-19 and conducting campaign rallies. Whereas Trump is eager to reopen the economy and holds large rallies, Biden remains more cautious and continues to adhere to social distancing guidelines during his drive-in events.