The Politicization of COVID-19 and Implications for Public Health

COVID-19 became politicized almost immediately by President Trump, his allies, and his opponents. Trump’s extant disposition involved a distrust of expertise combined with the presidential election 2020. This politicization would pervade public health messaging, determine state and citizen reactions to the pandemic, and have dire consequences on vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 death rates. Politicians and public health officials must work together and find consensus that builds trust while also being willing to adapt policies and admit uncertainty. This chapter explores the politicization of the pandemic, the consequences, and the potential for avoiding these mistakes in the future.