2024 presidential candidates on the coronavirus response

2024 presidential candidates on the issues

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, 2020-2024 • Abortion • Administrative state • Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation • Coronavirus response • Criminal justice • Policing • Trump indictments • Courts • Economy • Social Security • Taxes • Inflation • Job creation • Education • Charter schools and voucher programs • School curriculums and parental involvement • College affordability • Election policy • Energy and environmental issues • Climate change • Energy production • Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) • Federalism • Foreign policy • China (foreign policy) • Russia • Russia-Ukraine War • Middle East and North Africa • South and Central America • Israel-Hamas War • Israel-Palestine conflict • Government ethics • Gun regulation • Healthcare • Medicare • Sex and gender issues • Transgender healthcare • Immigration • Border security • Immigration enforcement • Impeachment • Infrastructure • Opioids and drug issues • Trade • China (trade) • Veterans

Presidential election
Presidential candidates
Republican nomination

Democratic nomination

This page includes statements from the 2024 presidential candidates on the coronavirus response. These statements were compiled from each candidate's official campaign website, editorials, speeches, and debates.

The candidates featured on this page were the noteworthy Democratic and Republican candidates in the 2024 presidential election. Only candidates who addressed this page's issue on their campaign website, in public statements, or in public speeches have a quote featured on this page. See something we missed? Email us. The active noteworthy presidential candidates as of November 5, 2025, were:

Kamala Harris (D)
Donald Trump (R)
Chase Oliver (L)
Jill Stein (G)

Coronavirus response

Democratic candidates

Joe Biden

In a campaign speech Biden said, "We vaccinated the vast bulk of America. We got through that pandemic with less than 2 million people being vaccinated when I came to office. Today, [270] million Americans have gotten COVID vaccine. We created a record 14 million new jobs — brand new jobs — to get the economy going strong again. And we passed the American Rescue Plan, which put $1,400 checks in people’s pockets at a time of enormous need. And on top of that, $300 checks per child per month in hardworking families in America and thousands of dollars for people’s pockets through a real crisis." ^{[source, as of 2024-01-30]}

Marianne Williamson

Wiliamson's campaign website said, "According to studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our country’s inadequate response to COVID-19 has resulted in over 1.1 million deaths and on average over 3200 people hospitalized daily. This means that the pandemic should return to status as a national emergency. Long Covid has caused both cognitive and physical impairments, and we must ensure those affected are protected in their workplace, as well as with the potential impacts to their housing and healthcare needs. As a country, we cannot compromise on relieving the trauma inflicted upon working people, and disabled and otherwise marginalized communities." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-19]}

Republican candidates

Ron DeSantis

In a Republican debate DeSantis said, "Why are we in this mess? Part of it, and a major reason is because how this federal government handed COVID-19 by locking down this economy. It was a mistake. It should have never happened. And in Florida, we led the country out of lockdown. We kept our state free and open. And I can tell you this. As your President, I will never let the deep state bureaucrats lock you down. You don’t take somebody like Fauci and coddle him. You bring Fauci in. You sit him down. And you say, Anthony, you are fired." ^{[source, as of 2023-08-23]}

Nikki Haley

In an op-ed Haley wrote, "Republicans deserve to be called out for getting the ball rolling on the pandemic spending binge. Democrats deserve blame for keeping it going, price tag be damned. They’ve taken the famous line, 'Never let a crisis go to waste,' to a whole new level, throwing billions of dollars at everything from labor unions to government entities that don’t exist." ^{[source, as of 2023-03-07]}

Vivek Ramaswamy

Ramaswamy's campaign website said, "Vivek is adamantly against mask mandates, and he always has been. [...] Vivek is for individual choice, no mandates, no lockdowns, no restrictions on speech." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-21]}

Donald Trump

Trump's campaign website said, "To save lives from the China virus, President Trump organized the production of the world’s largest supply of ventilators and the development of treatments and vaccines. He will stop all COVID mandates and restore medical freedom." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-21]}