A lot was said in 2020. About the coronavirus. About race. About the election. A lot of it was a waste, but some of it stuck out. For better or worse, here in no particular order are 2020’s most memorable quotes.
1. “We need you to do this, if not for yourself, then for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy. Do it for your Big Mama. Do it for your Pop-Pop.” — U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing in April
2. “As it turns out, it was a setup.” — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, in September explaining her maskless salon visit
3. “We have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics.” — Joe Biden in October, presumably referring to his campaign’s legal team
4. “Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying, ‘This is a great thing that’s happening for our country.’ This is a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody.” — President Trump, referring to the death of George Floyd and the need for “equal justice under the law” during a jobs report press conference in June
5. “We are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.” — National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci speaking in April on the coronavirus pandemic
6. “It might actually get worse.” — Fauci speaking in December on the coronavirus pandemic
7. “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask.” — Fauci speaking in March on wearing face covers to slow the spread of the coronavirus
8. “Theoretically, you should protect all the mucosal surfaces, so if you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it.” — Fauci speaking in July on covering the eyes with a barrier in addition to wearing face covers to slow the spread of the coronavirus
9. “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” — Biden during an interview in May with a black news and entertainment host
10. “I’m the public face of this city. I’m on national media, and I’m out in the public eye. I’m a person who, I take my personal hygiene very seriously, as I said I felt like I needed to have a haircut.” — Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in April answering a reporter who asked why she had received a professional haircut after issuing a statewide order that shut down salons and other businesses
11. “I have to stay healthy, so I can make the decisions for the people of this city.” — Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in March answering for why he visited a gym after advising all New Yorkers to stay home
12. “We have a racist society from top to bottom, impacting healthcare, housing, criminal justice, education, you name it.” — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in February during the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary debate
13. “I do want to be clear that I have never discriminated on the basis of sexual preference and would not discriminate on the basis of sexual preference.” — Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett during her confirmation hearing in October
