President Donald Trump has insisted — for some reason — on referring to the Coronavirus as the “Chinese virus,” despite admonishment from even the World Health Organization against using a phrase like that. The virus is not “Chinese” — it’s all over the world, and it’s spreading between a whopping 170 countries and counting. This Wednesday morning, Hillary Clinton harshly criticized Trump for his insistence on the “Chinese virus” phrase, which functions as a way for him to figure out how to spread his racist antagonism even in the midst of a public health crisis.
She shared on Twitter:
‘The president is turning to racist rhetoric to distract from his failures to take the coronavirus seriously early on, make tests widely available, and adequately prepare the country for a period of crisis. Don’t fall for it. Don’t let your friends and family fall for it.’
The president is turning to racist rhetoric to distract from his failures to take the coronavirus seriously early on, make tests widely available, and adequately prepare the country for a period of crisis.
Don't fall for it. Don't let your friends and family fall for it.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 18, 2020
He used the phrase as recently as Wednesday morning, although again, it does not reflect anything regarding the actual nature of the virus and pandemic at present. It’s just racist rhetoric.
He claimed that he “has always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and [has] done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the “borders” from China” — but that’s just nonsense. Trump is on record dismissing concern over the virus as a “hoax” at a rally that was not that long ago at all, and on numerous other occasions, Trump publicly insisted — against the counsel of public health officials and professionals — that the virus would soon be gone from the United States. It’s not.
I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the “borders” from China – against the wishes of almost all. Many lives were saved. The Fake News new narrative is disgraceful & false!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 18, 2020
Next up is the Senate’s presumed Wednesday approval of a Coronavirus relief funding package that the House initially approved at the end of last week. That latest relief includes free Coronavirus testing for those who need it, expanded unemployment insurance, and expanded support for federal “food security initiatives,” as NBC explains. All of these measures are increasingly relevant because of the large number of people who have been left either partly or entirely out of work because of restaurant, bar, and other closures meant to try and stem the community spread of the Coronavirus.
Check out Twitter’s response to Hillary…
