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."

And even today as well.

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.

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

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