Norway Opens Corruption Probe Into Former PM and Nobel Committee Chair Thorbjoern Jagland Over Epstein Links 
U.S. to Begin Paying UN Dues as Financial Crisis Spurs Push for Reforms 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
Pentagon Ends Military Education Programs With Harvard University 
TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans 
Trump Signs “America First Arms Transfer Strategy” to Prioritize U.S. Weapons Sales 
Nighttime Shelling Causes Serious Damage in Russia’s Belgorod Region Near Ukraine Border 
Jack Lang Resigns as Head of Arab World Institute Amid Epstein Controversy 
U.S. Lawmakers to Review Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein DOJ Files Starting Monday 
Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
China Warns US Arms Sales to Taiwan Could Disrupt Trump’s Planned Visit 
New York Legalizes Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients 
TrumpRx.gov Highlights GLP-1 Drug Discounts but Offers Limited Savings for Most Americans 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Trump Says “Very Good Talks” Underway on Russia-Ukraine War as Peace Efforts Continue 
From all the countries affected by the pandemic, the United States has taken the hardest hit in the number of cases and deaths. As the White House recently boasted about being ahead in numbers in terms of coronavirus testing, Utah Senator Mitt Romney felt otherwise.
Politico reports that Romney criticized the Trump administration as well as its White House testing czar for boasting about the number of tests the United States has conducted. The Republican lawmaker continued to criticize the White House testing czar, Admiral Brett Giroir of the U.S. Public Health Service, for playing politics in this situation.
During a Senate hearing, Romney told Giroir that it is to be expected from politicians to depict the data in such a way that is positive in a political sense but he did not expect that from someone in Giroir’s position. Romney also cited what happened the previous day, where Giroir boasted about the United States surpassing the testing numbers per capita in South Korea. The South Korean government’s response to the pandemic was highly praised all over the world.
“You ignored the fact that they accomplished theirs at the beginning of the outbreak, while we treaded water during February and March and as a result, by March 6 the U.S. had completed just 2,000 tests, whereas South Korea had conducted more than 140,000 tests,” said Romney.
The Utah Senator continued to criticize the Trump administration’s slow response in terms of testing and even mentioned how the death toll in South Korea has only gone up to 250 while the United States has over 82,000 deaths as of today. Thus, Romney said that the country’s testing record is not something to boast about.
Aside from the White House’s coronavirus testing czar, Romney also spoke to the top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. Romney expressed his surprise upon hearing President Donald Trump’s claim that his predecessor, President Barack Obama, was to blame for the lack of coronavirus vaccine. The Senator asked Dr. Fauci if Obama or Trump was to blame for the absence of a vaccine or the delay of the development of a vaccine. Dr. Fauci responded that neither president was responsible.
