Just as President Donald Trump has nicknamed COVID-19 the “Chinese Virus,” in order to shift blame to the country from where it originated, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) has come up with a nickname of her own for the same blame-placing reason: “Trump Virus.”
“I think with the President’s comments today, he recognized the mistakes he has made by now embracing mask-wearing and the recognition this is not a hoax, it is a pandemic that has gotten worse before it will get better because of his inaction. And, in fact, clearly, it is the Trump virus,” Pelosi told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday.
“What do you mean when you say the Trump virus?” Blitzer responded.
“The Trump virus: if he had said months ago, let’s wear masks and let’s not – let’s socially distance instead of rallies and whatever they were, then more people would have followed his lead,” Pelosi said. “He’s the President of the United States.”
She added, “I think a good deal of what we have suffered is clearly the Trump virus,” Pelosi said.
When asked if she was saying the thousands of Americans who have died from COVID-19, passed away because of Trump’s actions, Pelosi said yes, “I think it’s clearly evident.”
“We’re approaching four million – we’re approaching four million people infected – people affected by this – infected by it, and a large number, like 140,000, who have passed away. If it’s important to wear a mask now, it would have been important to wear it in March instead of telling us that by April we would all be going to church together. I wish that were the case, but he had no scientific basis for that.
“And so, if they don’t return to science and governance – and that’s a way that we can overcome this,” she continued. “We have hope and prayers for a vaccine. God-willing that will be soon. But it is still months away and people will die. So, let’s hope that the President comes closer to embracing the reality of this pandemic, this Trump virus.”
