The New England Journal of Medicine all but endorsed Joe Biden citing the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The medical journal, which had never supported or condemned a candidate for political office, did so for the first time on Wednesday when an editorial signed by 34 editors was published calling for those who have handled the government’s response to the health crisis, which they called “inadequate,” to be voted out of office.
“Anyone else who recklessly squandered lives and money in this way would be suffering legal consequences. Our leaders have largely claimed immunity for their actions. But this election gives us the power to render judgment,” the editors wrote. “When it comes to the response to the largest public health crisis of our time, our current political leaders have demonstrated that they are dangerously incompetent. We should not abet them and enable the deaths of thousands more Americans by allowing them to keep their jobs.”
The editors wrote that the United States “failed at almost every step” even though “we had ample warning.” The editors also said lockdown measures were instituted too late, and restrictions were eased up “long before adequate disease control had been achieved.”
“In much of the country, people simply don’t wear masks, largely because our leaders have stated outright that masks are political tools rather than effective infection control measures. The government has appropriately invested heavily in vaccine development, but its rhetoric has politicized the development process and led to growing public distrust,” they added.
The editors said that “our current leaders have undercut trust in science and in government, causing damage that will certainly outlast them.” The editors also noted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “has been eviscerated and has suffered dramatic testing and policy failures,” the National Institutes of Health has “been excluded from much crucial government decision making,” and the Food and Drug Administration “has been shamefully politicized.”
The post makes no mention of former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee.
