ABSTRACT
The US response to COVID-19 has followed predictable patterns given recent US history. In recent decades, Americans have become accustomed to the politicisation of every issue. 2020 provided a perfect storm for debate, with the election campaign underway. With this as background, the COVID-19 crisis became a crisis of political communication. This chapter reviews the key milestones and communication events of the period from December 2019 to the end of May 2020 and focuses on pivotal administration speeches, in particular direct statements by President Donald Trump. The over-politicisation of the crisis has led to a general mistrust of science and scientists by the American public, a fact which has significantly exacerbated the COVID-19 crisis.
