Stephen Miller Critiques COVID Lockdowns During Trump’s Presidency

Stephen Miller, a former senior advisor to President Donald Trump, recently criticized COVID-19 lockdowns during an appearance on Fox News, mistakenly attributing their implementation solely to President Joe Biden. During the segment on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Miller claimed that Americans had suffered significantly under Biden’s presidency, stating, “People got pummeled for four years of Biden in every way a human being can be pummeled.” He pointed to issues such as COVID lockdowns, inflation, and mass migration as key areas of concern.

Miller’s comments highlight a significant oversight: the lockdowns were initially ordered during Trump’s administration. In March 2020, Trump urged Americans to stay home for 15 days and avoid gatherings of ten or more people. By the end of that month, he extended these guidelines through April, leading to widespread closures of schools, restaurants, and other public venues as state and local authorities enforced pandemic restrictions.

Despite later expressing dissatisfaction with these measures, Trump acknowledged in a March 2020 interview that he felt pressured by public health experts to implement the shutdowns. He stated, “I wasn’t happy about it… They came in—experts—and they said, ‘We are going to have to close the country.’ I said, ‘We have never closed the country before. This has never happened before.’”

As states began to ease restrictions in May 2020, Trump criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for being overly cautious in their reopening guidelines. In Miller’s recent statements, he suggested that Trump quickly reversed the lockdowns, but these restrictions had largely ended by January 2021, when Biden took office.

The White House did not respond to inquiries from the *Daily Beast* regarding Miller’s claims. Additionally, Miller’s assertions about federal spending and inflation under Trump do not align with available data. A *New York Times* analysis indicated that federal spending increased during Trump’s term, contrary to Miller’s characterization of fiscal restraint.

In his remarks, Miller noted that Trump had managed to bring down inflation dramatically, stating, “Donald Trump comes back in and inflation is down to near benchmark rates of 2 percent within months.” However, economic data reveals that inflation levels were approximately 3 percent in January 2021 and fell to 2.7 percent by November of that year.

Recent polling from CBS/YouGov shows that more Americans view Trump’s economic policies as responsible for current economic challenges rather than those of Biden. This sentiment suggests that Miller’s claims may not align with public opinion regarding the economic impact of both administrations.

In summary, Miller’s critique of COVID lockdowns and economic management appears to overlook crucial historical context and data, raising questions about the accuracy of his assertions.