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Since the first reports of a "rare cancer seen in 41 homosexuals" were published in 1981, the condition we've come to know as HIV/AIDS has killed millions of people around the globe.
While the diagnosis was initially a death sentence, treatments like protease inhibitors have lengthened the lifespans of people with HIV by decades. The once a day dose of Pre-exposure prophylaxis—also known as PrEp—revolutionized safe sex practices with its effectiveness in preventing contraction of HIV.
The fight against AIDS has come a long way, but none of the above treatments are a vaccine.
That's why President Donald Trump—after alluding to these advancements—got called out for off-the-cuff claims that scientists working toward a COVID-19 vaccine have produced a so-called "AIDS vaccine."
Watch below.
“They've come up with the AIDS vaccine" pic.twitter.com/Z8MQK5Bi2F
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) June 16, 2020
Trump said:
"They've come up with many other cures and therapeutics over the years. These are the people, the best, the smartest, the most brilliant anywhere. And they've come up with the AIDS vaccine. They've come up with, or the AIDS, and as you know there's various things and now various companies are involved...AIDS was a death sentence and now people live a life with a pill."
It didn't take long for the fact-checks to stream in.
President Trump inaccurately says an AIDS vaccine exists while predicting a coronovirus vaccine by the end of 2020, and falsely accuses the Obama administration of making no effort to stop abusive policing, an #APFactCheck finds. https://t.co/Gasro8wIUR
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 16, 2020
President Trump falsely claimed on Tuesday that scientists had developed an AIDS vaccine, adding that he believes such a breakthrough would help lead to a vaccine for COVID-19.
A vaccine for AIDS doesn't exist. pic.twitter.com/b98R0iji3u
— NPR (@NPR) June 16, 2020
TRUMP, on scientists: “These are the people – the best, the smartest, the most brilliant anywhere, and they've come up with the AIDS vaccine."
THE FACTS: No one has come up with a vaccine for AIDS, nor is there a cure.https://t.co/uxXkvB90jJ pic.twitter.com/SeM4yxd8ry
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) June 16, 2020
CNN's Daniel Dale pointed out correctly that Trump did...in a way...correct himself as he shifted the conversation to "therapeutics" but the correction was not explicit.
Trump says he has great respect for scientists, and "they've come up with the AIDS vaccine...or the AIDS -- as you know, there are various things -- and now various companies are involved -- but the therapeutic for AIDS." (There is no AIDS vaccine, yes good therapeutics.)
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 16, 2020
Honestly, this was one of Trump's least egregious inaccurate claims. He effectively (though not explicitly) corrected himself right away, saying he was referring to AIDS therapeutics. He almost never fixes any error. https://t.co/QHx7rGSmjO
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 16, 2020
Others were not quite as generous.
No Trump. As always you are WRONG.
There is no vaccine for AIDS though we have advancements in treatment where PLHIV can have achieve an undetectable viral load and not transmit (“U=U"). Our battle continues with pharma holding monopolies on these lifesaving drugs.
— ACT UP NY (@actupny) June 16, 2020
Let's break it down to be as clear as possible.
There. Is. No. AIDS. Vaccine.https://t.co/yNqsHy1mZY
— Don S. Dizon MD 🇬🇺 (@drdonsdizon) June 16, 2020
Gaffe alert. At policing event, Trump said there is an AIDS vaccine. There is not an AIDS vaccine. https://t.co/nyvb1jldZP
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) June 16, 2020
Wow, big news day....Trump cured AIDS with a vaccine made out of the sauces in a McDonald's Happy Meal.
— Meredith (@meralee727) June 16, 2020
Trump: “If we stop testing right now we'd have very few cases, if any."
I'd make a sarcastic comment about applying that logic to cancer or AIDS but our president thinks there's IS an AIDS vaccine.
— Jonathan Morrison 🙋🏻♂️ (@tldtoday) June 17, 2020
When Trump says there's an AIDS vaccine#TrumpPressConference pic.twitter.com/UUFDHHShxr
— FedUp Mama 🌊♌🌈✌ (@fedupmama22) June 16, 2020
For the 2020 budget, Trump's administration proposed the largest ever cuts to HIV research and treatment funding.