COVID-19 deaths have risen by 25% since Biden took office Jan. 20

In just over one month, COVID-19 deaths have increased by 100,000 to 500,000 under the Biden Administration

Published: February 22, 2021 12:32pm

Updated: February 22, 2021 2:41pm

COVID-19 deaths have gone up by 100,000 since President Joe Biden took office Jan. 20 – a 25% increase just one month after former President Trump left office.

The death toll reached 400,000 when Trump left the White House and it crossed 500,000 as of Monday.

"There’s nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months," Biden said Jan. 22, one month ago.

In August, Democrats heavily criticized Trump after he said, "It is what it is," in response to a question about the rising coronavirus cases and deaths.

"They are dying, that's true. And you have – it is what it is," he said during an interview with Axios. "But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it. This is a horrible plague."

At the time of that interview, the death toll was around 156,000.

Biden is scheduled to hold a candle-lighting ceremony outside on the White House South Portico on Monday at sunset. He will be joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff for a moment of silence following the ceremony.