Betsy DeVos Didn’t Say 0.2 of Children Will Die

Editorial Team

Health

17th July 2020

Betsy DeVos Didn’t Say 0.2 of Children Will Die

Misbar’s investigation into this claim reveals it to be false (Getty Images)

The Claim

US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said that 0.2% of children will die if they go back to school in the fall.

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Emerging story

The claim appears to have originated on social media, and although it is unclear which account said it first, many have claimed along the lines of: “@BetsyDeVosED wants to kill children. Only an estimated 0.2% will die, after all. What’s a couple broken eggs, right? Absolutely disgusting.”

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar’s investigation into this claim reveals it to be false. In terms of the original statement from which the rumor may have started, Misbar’s analysis of DeVos’ most recent public appearances (considering the timing of the rumor) found no evidence that she made the comment, including speeches at the White House and interviews on CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday.” The statement itself is also false on face value, since according to the CDC only 22 children ages 15 and below have died of COVID in the US since the crisis began, making the risks for children miniscule at this time— far less than 0.2%.