While COVID-positive President Donald Trump was still at Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told a crowd of people Monday to “think about” the “irony” of Haitian voters delivering the “coup de grâce” to Trump this election.
A “coup de grâce” can mean the “final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person or animal” or “an action or event that serves as the culmination of a bad or deteriorating situation.”
“Think about this,” Biden said to a crowd Monday, “wouldn’t it be an irony, the irony of all ironies, if on election eve, it turned out Haitians delivered the coup de grâce in this election.”
The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway was among those online who underscored Biden’s choice of phrase, captioning the video post: “a ‘coup de grâce’ is a final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person or animal.”
a 'coup de grâce' is a final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person or animal https://t.co/gy81uDOaxH
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 5, 2020
“If a Republican made a comment like this, there would be wall-to-wall coverage,” responded Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee.
If a Republican made a comment like this, there would be wall-to-wall coverage. https://t.co/iH5Eo4vuTw
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) October 5, 2020
Last week, President Trump tested positive for the China-originated novel coronavirus and was sent to Walter Reed Medical Center. He was released later in the day on Monday, following Biden’s comment about a “coup de grâce.”
After President Trump left the hospital, he praised Walter Reed Medical Center and told the American public not to let COVID dominate their lives.
“I just left Walter Reed Medical Center, and it’s really something very special — the doctors, the nurses, the first responders — and I learned so much about coronavirus” Trump said, as noted by The Daily Wire. “And one thing that’s for certain, don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it. You’re gonna beat it. We have the best medical equipment; we have the best medicines — all developed recently — and you’re gonna beat it.”
“I went, I didn’t feel so good, and two days ago, I could have left two days, two days ago I felt great, like better than I have in a long time,” the president continued. “I said just recently, ‘better than 20 years ago.’ Don’t let it dominate. Don’t let it take over your lives. Don’t let that happen. We’re the greatest country in the world. We’re going back, we’re going back to work, we’re gonna be out front. As your leader, I had to do that. I knew there’s danger to it, but I had to do it. I stood out front; I led. Nobody that’s a leader would not do what I did, and I know there’s a risk, there’s a danger, but that’s okay. And now I’m better and maybe I’m immune, I don’t know.”
Trump concluded: “But don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful. We have the best medicines in the world, and it all happened very shortly, and they’re all getting approved, and the vaccines are coming momentarily. Thank you very much — and Walter Reed, what a group of people. Thank you very much.”