This Friday, President Donald Trump hosted another Coronavirus-oriented press conference in the Rose Garden that — in line with past occurrences — quickly turned into a gross display from the president. Well over 85,000 Americans have died due to the Coronavirus, and at one point, Trump even tried to dismiss the death toll as a “very small percentage” of those who have the disease. First of all, it’s unclear exactly how widespread undetected Coronavirus infection really is, and secondly: this the suffering of tens of thousands of Americans, who the president seems to be dismissing as inconsequential.
LIVE: POTUS Delivers Remarks on Vaccine Development https://t.co/ktpk4urgB1
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 15, 2020
If the virus could be seen and therefore shot at, Republicans like Trump would likely have no problem with doing what needed to be done to protect the lives of Americans. Tens of thousands of deaths is a staggering toll. Instead, Trump commented:
‘Very few people are — you know, we read about all the very sad, very tragic, “I’ve lost friends,” many of us have lost friends. We read about it, and we see that, and that’s what the news covers, but it’s a very, very small percentage. I say it all the time. It’s a tiny percentage. The vast majority — many people don’t even know they have it. They have it, or they have sniffles, or they have a very minor sign, and they recover, not only recover, they probably have immunity… and I think people have to understand that. That’s why I think the schools should be back in the fall. I think that lots of things should happen.’
Watch below:
Trump offers some remarkably callous comments about the US coronavirus death toll, which currently sits at 86,607: "It's a very, very small percentage. I say it all the time — it's a tiny percentage. The vast majority — many people don't even know they have it." pic.twitter.com/b7fSqGNJMs
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 15, 2020
Trump has no idea what he’s talking about. Many questions, like whether or not those who contract the virus acquire immunity, currently remain unanswered. Tens of thousands of Americans are dead from a disease that could be prevented via social distancing, but Trump — who has no relevant public experience whatsoever — remains happy to throw out social distancing.
These are the sorts of things political leaders say about their predecessors in failed states https://t.co/2IL88AWKdo
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 15, 2020
His Friday press conference was also marked by a lot of other commotion. Truckers showed up on the street near the event and blasted their horns as part of a protest demanding an audience with the administration, which they want to hear out their concerns amidst the economic upheaval enacted amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Trump, seemingly forever lost in the delusion that he is amazing, laughably insisted that the truckers were there in support of him. Is that why they were interrupting him with blasts of truck horns?
As protesting truckers continue to blast horns in the background, Trump says, "They're protesting *in favor* of president Trump, as opposed to against…that's the sign of love." It's not a pro-Trump (or anti-Trump) protest. They want a meeting with Trump on their complaints.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 15, 2020
Trump also displayed some racism, since no Trump appearance would be complete without it. He commented that an Indian reporter should say hi to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The reporter, however, had asked him for a message to Indian-Americans. The implication that people with Indian background all know each other is racist ridiculousness.
Trump tells an Indian reporter to say hi to Prime Minster Modi for him pic.twitter.com/kB84fveX2r
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 15, 2020
Trump is just a babbling egomaniac who doesn’t know what he’s talking about and resorts to racism under pressure. Heading into November, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continues to lead Trump in most polls on both the national level and in swing states.
