Given the size and diversity of US states, a per capita comparison between the US and individual EU countries is a bit apples to oranges. More apt comparison is US to whole of the EU.

On that basis, US fares poorly. https://twitter.com/BrendanNyhan/status/1291710035551297537

Here is FT chart showing per capita death rates in US and EU. Both initially follow same trajectory - US and EU were both (inexcusably) caught unready for initial spread.

But EU countries managed to bend the curve much more quickly, effectively, and (so far) sustainably.

Country-by-country vs state-by-state contrast is also interesting.

NY/NJ, at their peak, had death rates far higher than worst-hit EU countries (35-40 per mil vs 13-18 per mil).

MI at peak was comparable to worst-hit EU countries.

2nd-wave US states like AZ, TX, FL have seen death rates per million peaking around 50-75% of level of worst-hit EU countries.

BUT that's pretty damning considering the worst EU countries were caught off guard while US 2nd-wave states had months of warning that they squandered.

So overall I think the deaths per capita data show that compared to EU peers, the US response has been:
- equally poor in initial growth phase
- significantly weaker and slower in initial suppression phase
- singularly ineffective at maintaining suppression