Ed Satalia

State College

In his recent newsletter, Representative Glenn Thompson, citing a Fox News poll, claimed that a majority of Americans believe they’re worse off now than they were four years ago under President Trump. He’s parroting a Republican talking point recently made popular by Trump.

But saying something doesn’t make it so. We don’t all have short or distorted memories. Four years ago, we were in the early stages of a mismanaged pandemic that devastated our economy, upended our lives, and killed more than one million Americans.

Consider CDT headlines from that time:

— All of Pennsylvania now under orders to stay home

— Centre County construction projects delayed due to the coronavirus

— Dozens of inmates released from Centre County jail … to contain COVID-19 spread

— Pennsylvania reaches 26,490 total cases of COVID-19

— Spring semester in-person classes suspended for Penn State

And these national headlines in April 2020:

— Virus throws millions more out of work, and Washington struggles to keep pace (NY Times)

— U.S. confirmed coronavirus cases top half a million; World coronavirus death toll passes 100,000 (WSJ)

— ‘It’s a sinking ship’: COVID-19 deaths triple at state-run vets nursing home (Philadelphia Inquirer)

— As small businesses sink, some wonder if latest relief package will be enough to save them (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

— The U.S. was beset by denial and dysfunction…and opportunities to mitigate the pandemic were lost (Washington Post)

Does anyone really think we were better off four years ago? Thompson insults our intelligence. We actually lived through the crisis.