President Donald Trump on Thursday marked the "sad milestone" of 100,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States, after his earlier silence prompted criticism that he was failing in his duty to console victims and their loved ones.
"We have just reached a very sad milestone with the coronavirus pandemic deaths reaching 100,000," Trump posted on Twitter, about 16 hours after the death toll passed the threshold according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.
"To all of the families & friends of those who have passed, I want to extend my heartfelt sympathy & love for everything that these great people stood for & represent. God be with you!"
The US death toll, from 1.7 million confirmed infections, is by far the highest of any nation, and critics have accused the president of an inadequate early response to the pandemic. Trump has repeatedly said any death from COVID-19 is tragic. But he has been chided for appearing to concern himself more with the country digging out from economic devastation than consoling tens of thousands of American families shattered by the loss of loved ones.