President Donald Trump called Columbia University a “disgraceful institution” in an interview with Full Measure released Sunday.
The president made the comment after being asked about a study put out by the university last week which determined that some 36,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States could have been avoided if a shutdown had been implemented earlier.
“Columbia is a liberal, disgraceful institution to write that because all the people that they cater to were months after me, they said we shouldn't close it,” Trump said. “It's a disgrace that Columbia University would do it, playing right to their little group of people that tell them what to do.”
The president reiterated his claim that his January travel ban on foreign nationals from China saved many lives and was proof of his administration’s early steps to combat the coronavirus.
Axios pointed out that Trump continued to fight against shutdowns well into March before he suddenly changed his mind and declared COVID-19 a national emergency on March 13.
Researchers concede that the Columbia study was carried out with counterfactual experiments, which are based on hypothetical assumptions, according to The Hill.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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