President Trump created a firestorm Monday when he tweeted, “Don’t be afraid of Covid,” as he was leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to return to the White House.
I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020
People took to social media to respond, pointing out how many people have died of the coronavirus: more than 210,000 Americans, at last count. They also pointed out that Trump, who was admitted to the hospital Friday night, had access to the kind of world-class medical care that most regular Americans would never have access to and that those people, in fact, do need to be cautious of the virus. Trump, who has long underplayed COVID-19, often forgoing a mask and holding campaign events indoors and without social distancing, all of which go against his own scientific experts, tested positive for the virus himself at the end of last week. That was when officials announced Trump was going to Walter Reed, where he received an experimental treatment.
As Trump and COVID-19 began to trend on Twitter, several familiar names joined the conversation: Mandy Moore, Padma Lakshmi, Chris Evans, Ava DuVernay and more.
Don’t be afraid of covid? Tell that to the 210,000 families who have lost loved ones. To the Black, Brown and Indigenous folks disproportionately affected. With tens of millions of jobs lost and the economy tanked. Many of us isolated for months. You’re the cruelest. #votehimout https://t.co/QhM47Pa3lx
— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) October 5, 2020
Like when you were exposed to COVID-19, got it & went to a fundraiser without telling anyone, posed for photos, met w/ soldiers, rode around w/ secret service & then said “don’t be afraid of COVID” while pumped up w/ exclusive experimental treatments from your hospital stay? https://t.co/auB7AJvdqt
— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) October 5, 2020
Don’t be afraid of Covid?!
You’ve been under round-the-clock care by the best doctors using the best drugs. Do you really think everyone has access to that?!
Sadly, I’m sure you’re aware of that disparity, you just don’t care
This is reckless to a shocking degree, even for you https://t.co/H8CGlD9DcZ
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) October 5, 2020
“Don’t be afraid of Covid.“ How preposterous! 210,000 American people have lost their lives! Children have lost their parents. Mothers and fathers are gone! How dare he say such a stupid thing.
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) October 5, 2020
“Don’t be afraid of Covid” should be the end of Trump’s presidency and the Republican Party.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 5, 2020
The sick #IdiotInChief just tweeted that “I never felt better in 20 years. Don’t be afraid of getting COVID!”
TELL THAT TO THE DEAD! Must be pumped up from steroids & getting medications no one else in the world can get. He shoulda said “#ImHighAsAKite”#Base, go get Covid!— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) October 5, 2020
The U.S. is now fighting its worst health crisis in more than a century – with more than 210,000 Americans dead from Covid-19 and nearly 7.5 million who have come down with the virus – @realDonaldTrump just said: “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.”
— Wolf Blitzer (@wolfblitzer) October 5, 2020
For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC’s and WHO’s resource guides.
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