Fact Check: Did the United States have the highest COVID-19 death rate of any country?

Media Bias Fact Check (MBFC) publishes daily vetted fact checks from verified IFCN-approved sources. Each claim is independently reviewed for accuracy and context.

Claimant: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Claim: The United States “had the highest death rate from COVID of any nation on earth.”

Rating: BLATANT LIE

Explanation: The United States recorded the highest total number of reported COVID-19 deaths, but it did not have the highest death rate. Peru had the highest per-capita COVID-19 death rate, and other measures such as case-fatality rates and excess mortality also do not place the United States first.

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Date: 08/10/2026

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Last Updated on August 10, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check

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