Republicans say impeachment distracted Trump from coronavirus. But the president golfed and held rallies during his trial while downplaying the virus for weeks.

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• Republicans are now blaming impeachment for President Donald Trump's bungled coronavirus response. 
• "It came up while we were tied down in the impeachment trial. And I think it diverted the attention of the government because everything every day was all about impeachment," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.
• But Trump golfed, held campaign rallies, and hosted a Super Bowl party during his trial while repeatedly downplaying the threat of the virus.  
• Public health experts widely agree that Trump's response to coronavirus has been disastrous, excoriating the president for repeatedly ignoring warning signs. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As President Donald Trump faces criticism from public health experts and lawmakers over his lack of preparation for the coronavirus pandemic, his Republican allies have argued the president was too distracted by impeachment to focus on the spread of the virus. 

"It came up while we were tied down in the impeachment trial. And I think it diverted the attention of the government because everything every day was all about impeachment," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a Tuesday interview.

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