President Donald Trump has been floundering his way through the U.S. Coronavirus outbreak, and his “advice” is getting even more precarious. This week, he’s begun harping on about the supposed need to reopen the economy no matter the carnage that may ensue from the essentially unfettered spread of the virus, and in so doing, he’s done a complete turnaround — not that long ago, he suggested social restrictions could last until July or August, but this Monday, he said that he’s not looking at a months-long timeframe. On Twitter this Tuesday, Hillary Clinton mocked Trump for his floundering.
.@KaitlanCollins: “You said it’s likely going to be weeks, not months, before you suggest easing these guidelines…Have any of the doctors on your team told you that’s the right path to pursue?”
TRUMP: “If it were up to the doctors, they would say let’s keep it shut down.” pic.twitter.com/YLttKa2foX
— CAP Action (@CAPAction) March 23, 2020
She shared:
‘Please do not take medical advice from a man who looked directly at a solar eclipse.’
Please do not take medical advice from a man who looked directly at a solar eclipse.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 24, 2020
An image circulated far and wide across the internet of Trump staring right at a solar eclipse, although rule of thumb number one — like, the message broadcast in endless public service announcements left and right across the entire country — is to not look right at an eclipse, because the harmful sun rays are still coming through even if the main disk is blocked out.
Meanwhile, in the present situation, at least one couple actually attempted to take Trump’s advice about the usage of malaria medications to avoid the Coronavirus — and now one of them is dead and the other one is hospitalized in serious condition. They used one of the medications that Trump mentioned, and they were seriously injured.
Woman in ICU: "Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a cure."
NBC: "What would be your message to the American public?"
Woman: "Oh my God. Don't take anything. Don't believe anything. Don’t believe anything that the President says & his people…call your doctor." https://t.co/C8EiTQQ3r1 pic.twitter.com/UAOXBNsS4t— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) March 24, 2020
More broadly, Trump has failed to grasp the implications of his growing drumbeat to protect the economy above even the lives of Americans. Shortly before her mocking tweet posted above, Clinton commented:
‘It’s incredible that this has to be said: Letting thousands of people needlessly suffer and die is wrong. It’s also not a recipe for rescuing the economy.’
It's incredible that this has to be said: Letting thousands of people needlessly suffer and die is wrong. It's also not a recipe for rescuing the economy.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 24, 2020
Shortly before her own posts, Trump had again trumpeted his reopen the economy proposal on Twitter, insisting that people “will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly” — but banking the lives of untold tens of thousands and who knows how many more on an honor system with the backing of serial liar Donald Trump is ludicrous.
Our people want to return to work. They will practice Social Distancing and all else, and Seniors will be watched over protectively & lovingly. We can do two things together. THE CURE CANNOT BE WORSE (by far) THAN THE PROBLEM! Congress MUST ACT NOW. We will come back strong!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2020
Check out Twitter’s response…
