President Donald Trump called COVID-19 “the Chinese Virus” in a xenophobic tweet on Monday and faced an immediate backlash.
Trump, echoing a right-wing talking point that the spread of the coronavirus is the fault of China, where it originated, wrote that the U.S. will support industries “that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus.”
“We will be stronger than ever before,” he bragged.
The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 16, 2020
Trump repeated the term in another tweet on Tuesday morning:
Cuomo wants “all states to be treated the same.” But all states aren’t the same. Some are being hit hard by the Chinese Virus, some are being hit practically not at all. New York is a very big “hotspot”, West Virginia has, thus far, zero cases. Andrew, keep politics out of it....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2020
Politicians, actors and commentators denounced Trump’s description of the virus, which has sickened more than 182,000 people worldwide and killed more than 7,100. World Health Organization guidelines for naming infectious diseases say leaders should not use geographic locations to avoid stigmatizing a location or ethnic group.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) warned Trump that Asian Americans “will likely encounter more discrimination because of your tweet below.”
“Please stop your unnecessary rhetoric,” Lieu added. ”#COVID-19 is now an American virus, an Italian virus, a Spanish virus. We all are impacted & we all need to work together.”
Dear @realDonaldTrump: Asian Americans will likely encounter more discrimination because of your tweet below. Please stop your unnecessary rhetoric.#COVID19 is now an American virus, an Italian virus, a Spanish virus. We all are impacted & we all need to work together. https://t.co/yLzNmpJZHs
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) March 17, 2020
Its called the Coronavirus and its now as American as apple pie so stop racist comments.
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) March 16, 2020
You know what the world calls the "American virus"? YOU. https://t.co/YVa5WTovi8
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 17, 2020
There it is. I’ve been deathly afraid of this exact moment where Trump turns to racism and xenophobia and calls COVID-19 the “Chinese Virus.” We are in deep trouble as a nation now that President of the United States makes the conscious decision to go down this dark path of hate.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 16, 2020
"Chinese virus."
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) March 16, 2020
American jackass.
DOG
— Jimmy Wong (@jfwong) March 17, 2020
WHISTLE
POLITICS https://t.co/6fWpUHIUsS
Of course he called it "Chinese Virus," because he doesn't care that Asians and Asian Americans are subjected to hate violence because of this racist description of #coronavirus. https://t.co/g5ewbNhteE
— 𝖠𝗌𝗂𝖺𝗇 𝖠𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖫𝖾𝗀𝖺𝗅 (@aaldef) March 16, 2020
Nice racist dog whistle there, POTUS.
— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) March 16, 2020
Asian American Trump supporters, after he's done throwing you under the bus, please feel free to come over to the side that will vote this awful human being out of office. https://t.co/rGOIkao6zw
I really don't like this tendency to blame all Chinese for the coronavirus. There's a long and brutal xenophobic history of blaming foreigners for diseases, and we bungled our own response to #COVID19 so badly that we shouldn't make scapegoats of others. https://t.co/XBpuykgSLt
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) March 17, 2020
What a president! By labeling the COVID-19 “Chinese virus,” Trump tries to hide his administration's lack of prevention & control measures against the #coronavirus. He passes the buck to China, trying to prove that he is NOT responsible for the current situation the US is facing. https://t.co/LubdzY1G1y
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) March 17, 2020
The US stock market crash dealt a heavy blow to Trump’s team. They have no efficient way to fight the pandemic and all they can do in the panic is to save themselves by making China a scapegoat. https://t.co/Zfm27xqQ8u
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) March 17, 2020
Mr. President: This is not acceptable. Calling it the "Chinese virus" only instigates blame, racism, and hatred against Asians - here and abroad. We need leadership that speaks clearly against racism; Leadership that brings the nation and world together. Not further divides. https://t.co/wPTcnoO5QU
— Eugene Cho (@EugeneCho) March 17, 2020
This is racist, full stop.
— Dr. Arati Kreibich (@Arati4Congress) March 16, 2020
You can't rename COVID-19 to distract from your own administration's too-little, too-late response. https://t.co/a0Mdy85AxM
Pres Trump changed his entire tone during today's WH briefing on coronavirus. He was somber. He said U.S. & world had no control over it. He said U.S. might see a recession.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) March 16, 2020
Now, just 4 hrs later, he is back to leaning on cultural wars & calling coronavirus the "Chinese virus." https://t.co/LIvosx1oyH
Does Don know that there's only a smidgen of unwell Americans liking his tweets & still supporting him? The rest of us are using his tweets as a verbal dart board while others are pasting his orange mug on a wall & using it 2 play Pin The Tail on the Ass, or wiping theirs with it https://t.co/lVLsLmXoLT
— Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) March 16, 2020
Trump now calling #COVID19 the "Chinese virus." Soon Trump will call the coronavirus the "Muslim flu" or "Mexican influenza" since demonizing both groups played great with his base in 2016. https://t.co/rCC0oybu2i
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) March 17, 2020
the racism has no end. https://t.co/MykkGXGpRk
— deray (@deray) March 17, 2020
Let's get a few things correct, @realDonaldTrump:
— Sema (@_SemaHernandez_) March 17, 2020
1.) It's called #COVID19 or #coronavirus, you racist xenophobe.
2.) The US must support the working and poor people, not major billion dollar corporations.
3.) When you lose the 2020 election, we will be stronger than ever before. https://t.co/KfN6ZCG39X
People are literally fleeing the United States to get treatment in China because it's safer there, you incompetent racist fool. https://t.co/lmbMVsCHcN
— Meena Harris (@meenaharris) March 17, 2020
Your racism is the OPPOSITE of what we need to defeat this GLOBAL virus.
— Carolyn B. Maloney (@CarolynBMaloney) March 17, 2020
This is a time for coming together as a global family to defeat #covid19.
Then, in November, Americans will defeat YOU. https://t.co/rmPjHRMTZG
Remember last week when I said "Please don't call it the Chinese coronavirus" and a bunch of you said "no one is calling it that except for super racists" https://t.co/TRGq1DKPdb
— Geraldine (@everywhereist) March 16, 2020
yo are you actually SERIOUS with the blatant implied RACISM!?!?! RIGHT NOW???? THINGS LIKE THIS MAKE ME THINK WE WOULD ACTUALLY, LITERALLY, NO JOKE BE BETTER OFF IF THE STALE CHICKEN NUGGET CRUMB SITTING UNDERNEATH MY CAR'S FRONT SEAT WAS IN OFFICE https://t.co/JZFbP4nR69
— Rebecca Black (@MsRebeccaBlack) March 17, 2020
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