Trump Calls Coronavirus "Their New Hoax" at South Carolina Rally

At a campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina on February 28, 2020, President Trump dismissed Democratic criticism of his administration’s coronavirus response by declaring “this is their new hoax,” comparing it to impeachment and other perceived attacks against him. The statement came as the coronavirus outbreak was rapidly accelerating globally—with over 83,000 people infected worldwide and at least 2,857 deaths—and as the United States stood on the brink of what would become a devastating pandemic that ultimately killed nearly 200,000 Americans by September 2020. Trump’s characterization of legitimate public health concerns as a political “hoax” established a pattern of pandemic denialism that would plague the federal response for months to come.

The “Hoax” Statement in Context

During the rally, Trump linked coronavirus criticism to previous controversies, stating: “They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything. They tried it over and over… It’s all turning. They lost. It’s all turning. Think of it. Think of it. And this is their new hoax.” While Trump later claimed he was referring only to Democratic criticism—not the virus itself—as a “hoax,” his language minimized the severity of the emerging pandemic and framed legitimate public health warnings as partisan attacks. The rally took place just one day before the first American death from coronavirus would be announced in Washington state on February 29, 2020.

Dangerous Minimization of Pandemic Threat

At the time of Trump’s “hoax” comment, the coronavirus had already spread to multiple continents, Wall Street had experienced its worst week since the financial crisis due to pandemic fears, and public health experts were warning that the virus was significantly more contagious than seasonal flu. Trump spent much of the rally downplaying the threat, comparing coronavirus to seasonal flu, and insisting his administration was “magnificently organized” and “totally prepared”—despite the fact that COVID-19 testing remained severely limited and would continue to lag for weeks. By characterizing Democratic concerns as a “hoax,” Trump weaponized pandemic response as a partisan issue rather than a national emergency requiring unified action.

Pattern of Denialism and Partisan Polarization

Trump’s February 28 statement inaugurated a pattern of pandemic denialism that would define his administration’s response to COVID-19. Throughout his presidency, Trump had “weaponized the word ‘hoax’” to dismiss the Mueller investigation, impeachment proceedings, and climate change—now he was applying the same dismissive rhetoric to a deadly global pandemic. This approach transformed basic public health measures into politically charged issues, with profound consequences for the federal response. When confronted the next day about calling the virus a “hoax,” Trump claimed he meant “the action that they take to try and pin this on somebody”—but the damage was done, signaling to his supporters that treating the pandemic seriously was optional political theater rather than urgent public health necessity.

Significance

Trump’s characterization of coronavirus concerns as a Democratic “hoax” represents one of the most consequential failures of presidential leadership in modern American history. By framing pandemic warnings through a partisan lens at the critical moment when the virus was entering the United States, Trump ensured that basic public health measures—testing, social distancing, mask-wearing—would become politically polarized rather than unified national priorities. The statement exemplified Trump’s consistent pattern of prioritizing his own political interests and grievances over the welfare of Americans, treating a deadly pandemic as just another opportunity for campaign rhetoric and score-settling. The consequences of this approach would become devastatingly clear over the following months as the United States experienced some of the highest COVID-19 infection and death rates in the developed world, with Trump’s initial dismissiveness contributing to delayed federal action, inadequate testing infrastructure, and the politicization of public health guidance that cost countless American lives.