Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Thursday complained to Fox News’ Sean Hannity that President Donald Trump is not receiving enough credit for his “incredibly courageous” handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Carson, a member of Trump’s coronavirus task force, cited the president’s February decision to stop foreign nationals who had recently visited China from entering the U.S. ― a talking point frequently invoked by Trump and his defenders to counter critics pointing out the president’s slow and chaotic response to the pandemic.
Trump and members of his administration have been fiercely criticized for downplaying the threat of the outbreak for weeks. Even now, after seeming to acknowledge the human toll and economic devastation caused by the pandemic, Trump has failed to recommend a nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of the virus.
Trump has also been slammed for calling the contagion the “Chinese virus,” and for attacking journalists and governors who question or criticize his response.
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Twitter users pounced on the gripes of Carson, a retired neurosurgeon.
“Bullshit Ben Carson. Bullshit. Donald Trump isn’t courageous. He’s never ever been courageous,” tweeted former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), who ran an unsuccessful campaign to unseat Trump as the GOP 2020 nominee.
“He doesn’t know courage. He doesn’t understand courage,” Walsh continued. “He’s never tasted courage. He’s incapable of courage. He doesn’t even know how to spell the word courage.”
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