Protestors project number of times Donald Trump has played golf during Covid pandemic onto one of his Scottish golf courses as US death toll passes 200,000
Protestors have projected the number of times Donald Trump has played golf and the total Covid-19 deaths during the pandemic onto one of his Scottish golf courses.
The illumination comes as the total coronavirus death toll in the US reached 200,005 today, the highest in the world.
Its total death rate is more than 60,000 higher than Brazil, the country with the second highest death rate at 137,272.
Footage of the increasing tally outside the US president's Trump Turnberry resort in Ayrshire, Scotland, was posted by the Led By Donkeys campaign.
Protestors have projected the number of times Donald Trump has played golf and the total Covid-19 deaths during the pandemic onto one of his Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland
In the projection, a date flashes up of when the president has played a round of golf as the number of deaths linked to coronavirus in the US rises.
The video is accompanied by a soundtrack of Mr Trump criticising his predecessor Barack Obama for golfing while president and claiming he would not have time to play golf if he was elected.
By the end of the 57-second video, 24 games of golf have been accounted for since March 7, 2020.
It concludes with the audio of Mr Trump saying: 'When you're in the White House, who the hell wants to play golf?'
America's coronavirus death toll of 200,000 today was unimaginable eight months ago when the scourge first reached the world's richest nation.
'It is completely unfathomable that we've reached this point,' said Jennifer Nuzzo, a Johns Hopkins University public health researcher.
The bleak milestone, by far the highest confirmed death toll from the virus in the world, was reported by Johns Hopkins, based on figures supplied by state health authorities.
But the real toll is thought to be much higher, in part because many Covid-19 deaths were probably ascribed to other causes, especially early on, before widespread testing.
The number of dead in the US is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every day for 67 days. It is roughly equal to the population of Salt Lake City or Huntsville, Alabama.
On Sunday, the University of Washington predicting the number of coronavirus fatalities in the US will nearly double by January.
Trump Turnberry golf course, Scotland - SOUND ON
— Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) September 22, 2020
cc @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/bth2aeKSic
Trump Turnberry golf course, Scotland - SOUND ON
cc @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/bth2aeKSic
In May the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at University of Washington estimated around 180,000 deaths by October.
Their predication now stands at around 378,000 deaths by January.
On Sunday, Trump said the US could keep the death toll between 100,000 to 200,000 people it would indicate that his administration had 'done a very good job'.
The US also set a one-day record with over 1 million coronavirus diagnostic tests being performed, but the country needs 6 million to 10 million a day to bring outbreaks under control, according to various experts.
The virus continues to spread and there is currently no approved vaccine.
Some public health experts fear infections could spike this fall and winter, perhaps even doubling the death count by the end of the year.
If the US could keep the death toll between 100,000 to 200,000 people, Trump (pictured speaking in a pre-recorded message which was played during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly today) said, it would indicate that his administration had 'done a very good job'
Yet the grim milestone and the prospect of more American deaths to come have prompted no rethinking from the president about his handling of the pandemic and no outward expressions of regrets.
Instead, Trump has sought to reshape the significance of the death tally, trying to turn the loss of 200,000 Americans into a success story by contending the numbers could have been even higher without the actions of his administration.
'If we didn't do our job, it would be three and a half, two and a half, maybe 3 million people,' Trump said Friday, leaning on extreme projections of what could have happened if nothing at all were done to fight the pandemic.
'We have done a phenomenal job with respect to Covid-19.'
Mr Trump last played at his Ayrshire resort in 2018 during a four-day trip to the UK - a visit that cost more than £14.2 million to police.
Trump last played at the last played at his Trump Turnberry Ayrshire resort in 2018 during a four-day trip to the UK
Before that, Mr Trump last visited Turnberry in 2016 to reopen it after a multimillion-pound refurbishment
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the golf course while the president played but Police Scotland later praised the demonstrators for their good behaviour.
Before that, Mr Trump last visited Turnberry in 2016 to reopen it after a multimillion-pound refurbishment.
At the time, he was the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and staff at the course wore caps with the message 'made Turnberry great again', in a nod to his campaign slogan.
Turnberry became his second golf course in Scotland after Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, the construction of which was marred in controversy as he clashed with residents, environmental campaigners and politicians.
The Balmedie course eventually opened in 2012.