The death toll from the COVID-19 disease rose to six on Monday, hours after Donald Trump complained that he's not getting enough credit for his response to the new virus.

Public health officials in Washington State on Monday said four more people have died due to illness linked to the novel coronavirus — a sign that the virus is spreading despite the steps Trump and U.S. officials have taken to stop it.

Just hours before the new deaths were announced, Trump attacked Democrats for not lauding his moves to thwart a pandemic.

"I was criticized by the Democrats when I closed the Country down to China many weeks ahead of what almost everyone recommended," Trump tweeted Monday morning. "Saved many lives. Dems were working the Impeachment Hoax. They didn't have a clue! Now they are fear mongering. Be calm & vigilant!"

It follows the same line of braggadocious comments Trump has made for days, as the COVID-19 disease continued to spread.

On Friday, one day before the U.S. announced the first death linked to COVID-19 disease, Trump was attacking Democrats and wondering why he was being criticized rather than lauded for his response.

"So, the Coronavirus, which started in China and spread to various countries throughout the world, but very slowly in the U.S. because President Trump closed our border, and ended flights, VERY EARLY, is now being blamed, by the Do Nothing Democrats, to be the fault of 'Trump,'" Trump tweeted.

"The Do Nothing Democrats were busy wasting time on the Immigration Hoax, & anything else they could do to make the Republican Party look bad, while I was busy calling early BORDER & FLIGHT closings, putting us way ahead in our battle with Coronavirus," Trump added. "Dems called it VERY wrong!"

Trump's language about COVID-19 disease has so far differed from public health experts, who are issuing warnings about a community outbreak.

Trump has falsely called the virus outbreak a "hoax," and has accused Democrats of politicizing the public health crisis.

Democrats, for their part, criticized Trump for his administration's initial response to the disease, after a whistleblower reported that public health officials responding to cases of COVID-19 disease were not given proper training nor protective gear.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who is helping control the spread of COVID-19 disease, told NBC's Richard Engel on Monday that COVID-19 disease has "now reached outbreak proportions and likely pandemic proportions."

And, after complaining about not getting praise for his leadership on the virus response, Trump spent the rest of Monday endorsing Republican candidates for reelection on Twitter, sending 22 tweets about GOP candidates he's backing.

Trump has not yet offered condolences to the families of those who have died from the virus.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore