House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declared that COVID-19 should be labeled the “Trump virus” during a Tuesday night interview on CNN.
Pelosi’s remarks come as President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to the virus as the “China virus” to denote its origin. Relations between the U.S. and China continue to disintegrate, and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials are using clips from CNN, MSNBC, and Democratic politicians as propaganda.
“We have lots to discuss,” CNN host Wolf Blitzer said to Pelosi at the beginning of the interview. “But let me start with the president’s news conference he just had on the pandemic. He encouraged people to go ahead and wear a mask. He admitted that things will get worse before they get better. He said, eventually, it’s going to disappear. How far do you think all that goes in addressing this crisis that’s still killing hundreds of Americans every single day?”
“Well, I think with the president’s comments today, he recognized the mistakes that 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,” said the Democratic leader.
“Well, what do you mean when you say ‘the Trump virus?'” asked Blitzer.
“The Trump virus,” said Pelosi. “If they — if he had said months ago, let’s wear masks, let’s not — let’s socially distance, instead of having rallies and political, whatever they were, then more people would have followed his lead – he’s the President of the United States – instead of being a bad example, making it like a manhood thing, not to wear a mask. So, in any event, it was weird because a briefing on the coronavirus should be about science, and that is something the president has ignored. It should be about governance, and now, he’s finally embracing, saying, ‘Okay, it’s okay to wear a mask.’ So, I think a good deal of what we have suffered is clearly the Trump virus.”
The Democratic speaker went on repeatedly to refer to COVID-19 as the “Trump virus.”
Video and transcript below:
House Speaker Pelosi reacts to Pres. Trump embracing masks: “If he had said months ago, ‘let’s wear a mask, let’s socially distance’ instead of having rallies…then more people would have followed his lead…I think a good deal of what we have suffered is clearly the Trump virus.” pic.twitter.com/WmEKubdpCq
— The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) July 21, 2020
CNN HOST WOLF BLITZER: We have lots to discuss, but let me start with the president’s news conference he just had on the pandemic. He encouraged people to go ahead and wear a mask. He admitted that things will get worse before they get better. He said, eventually, it’s going to disappear.
How far do you think all that goes in addressing this crisis that’s still killing hundreds of Americans every single day?
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Well, I think with the president’s comments today, he recognized the mistakes that 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.
BLITZER: Well, what do you mean when you say “the Trump virus?”
PELOSI: The Trump virus. If they — if he had said months ago, let’s wear masks, let’s not — let’s socially distance, instead of having rallies and political, whatever they were, then more people would have followed his lead – he’s the President of the United States – instead of being a bad example, making it like a manhood thing, not to wear a mask.
So, in any event, it was weird because a briefing on the coronavirus should be about science and that is something the president has ignored. It should be about governance, and now, he’s finally embracing and saying, “Okay, it’s okay to wear a mask.” So, I think a good deal of what we have suffered is clearly the Trump virus.
BLITZER: So, what you’re saying is that thousands of Americans have died because of what the president has done or not done. Is that what you’re saying?
PELOSI: Yeah. Yes, that’s what I’m saying. I think it’s clearly evident. We’re approaching 4 million, approaching 4 million infect — people affected by this, infected by it. And a large number, you know, like 140,000 who have passed away.
If it’s important to wear masks now, it would have been important to wear it in March, instead of telling us that by April, we’d 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. We hope and pray for a vaccine, God willing that will be soon, but when it comes — it’s 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.