Trump Still Using 'Chinese Virus' For COVID-19

By Ed Scarce — March 17, 2020

Before too many of us start congratulating Trump for doing the bare minimum to fight this pandemic, it was just a few weeks ago he was still calling this "a hoax." It's worth reminding everyone that he's still out there, dividing people, pitting people against one another, making counter-productive statements and actions which divide all of us. Because that's just who and what he is.

Source: The Week

President Trump is doubling down on labeling the COVID-19 coronavirus the "Chinese virus" even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's director calls such language inappropriate.

Trump in a tweet on Tuesday morning criticizing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) labeled the virus that originated in Wuhan, China, the "Chinese Virus," repeating the term after using it in a tweet on Monday.

Though the COVID-19 coronavirus was initially described in some media reports as the "Wuhan virus" before it became a global pandemic, CDC Director Robert Redfield recently agreed that it's not appropriate to use terms like "Chinese coronavirus," NBC News reports. The World Health Organization has also warned about "public stigmatization among specific populations and the rise of harmful stereotypes" amid the spread of the virus, saying that "governments, citizens, media, key influencers & communities have an important role to play in preventing & stopping stigma."

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

And even today as well.

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

Naturally, the Chinese are pissed-off.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Trump should take care of his own matters first. “Some US politicians have tried to stigmatise China … which China strongly condemns,” he said at a press briefing on Tuesday. “We urge the US to stop this despicable practice. We are very angry and strongly oppose it [the tweet].”

The World Health Organization has advised against terms that link the virus to China or the city of Wuhan, where it was first detected, in order to avoid discrimination or stigmatisation.

DO - talk about the new #coronavirus disease (#COVID19)

DON'T - attach locations or ethnicity to the disease, this is not a “Wuhan Virus”, “Chinese Virus” or “Asian Virus”.
The official name for the disease was deliberately chosen to avoid stigmatizationhttps://t.co/yShiCMfYF3 pic.twitter.com/belHrq5HVo

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 2, 2020

And it's pretty obvious why he's doing this, and why it's being embraced by the Trump cult.

Trump is naming the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” so you’ll blame all the sickness and death, all the disruptions, all the financial loss in the US on Chinese people—and not the abysmal response of his administration. Don’t fall for this racism, for the latest form of Trumpism. https://t.co/orOAeAukfJ

— Ibram X. Kendi (@DrIbram) March 17, 2020

This morning a White House official referred to #Coronavirus as the “Kung-Flu” to my face. Makes me wonder what they’re calling it behind my back.

— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) March 17, 2020

This is why it’s so important that the President NOT refer to this as the “Chinese Virus”. It’s racist, offensive and counterproductive. https://t.co/yUkBuBNFjz

— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) March 17, 2020

Star Trek's George Takei offered up a novel solution.