By the time Joe Biden assumed office on January 20, 2021, the United States was mired in a pandemic crisis. Over 400,000 Americans had already died from COVID-19, and the country faced an unprecedented health emergency. However, one of the most glaring failures of the outgoing administration was its lack of preparation for the transition of power regarding the pandemic.

President Donald Trump, who had downplayed the severity of COVID-19 throughout much of his tenure, did not provide an effective transition plan for the incoming administration. Despite Biden’s clear calls for a cooperative handover, the Trump administration offered little in terms of guidance, resources, or essential data regarding the pandemic’s ongoing challenges.

This failure was compounded by the Trump administration’s refusal to acknowledge Biden’s electoral victory, resulting in a delay of critical communications between the two teams. As a result, the Biden team had to scramble to gather necessary information on vaccine distribution, medical supplies, and other crucial pandemic-related issues. The absence of a smooth transition led to confusion, delays, and gaps in the national response.

Trump’s decision to leave Biden with no comprehensive pandemic strategy contributed to the early challenges of the Biden administration’s COVID response, including the rushed rollout of vaccines and the struggle to implement public health measures. The continuing chaos from the lack of a transition plan also set the stage for a rocky start to 2021, a year that the new president had hoped to begin with a clear, unified approach to tackling the crisis.

The Trump administration’s lack of a pandemic transition plan was a failure of leadership—one that left the United States ill-prepared to face the full extent of the health crisis in the new year. For all the talk of “winning” the battle against COVID, Trump’s departure left a vacuum that would take months to fill, costing lives and prolonging the national suffering.

Why did you vote for him again in November 2024?