Donald Trump Shares Video of Response Team's Tips to Combat Coronavirus, and Social Media Weighs In

Libby Birk

03/19/2020 12:57 pm EDT

President Donald Trump shared a message from members of the coronavirus response team talking about how important social distancing is to limit the spread of COVID-19. In the clip, coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams and NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci all offer guidance on how to best flatten the curve.

"Social distancing is what we refer to when we ask people to stay at least six feet apart," Birx said, with Adams adding that people should "[stay] away from people whom you might get coronavirus from or who are at high risk and whom you might spread coronavirus to." Fauci suggested, "You can socially distance yourself from people in social settings by not going to bars, not going to restaurants, not going to theaters where there are a lot of people. It all just means physical separation so that you have a space between you and others who might actually be infected or might infect you."

Trump shared the message from the experts with the caption, "SOCIAL DISTANCING!" on Thursday morning, just ahead of a planned press conference from him and the rest of the task force to give updates on the latest.

Social media had a wide response to Trump's tweet; continue on to see what people are saying about it.

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Plenty of Twitter users found fault in Trump's message, with one telling him to "stop shouting" and to focus on getting resources to those who need them amid the public health crisis.

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Likewise, some called for the mass production of coronavirus tests and masks.

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Others criticized the message for using the widely accepted term "social distancing," arguing that instead it should be called "physical distancing" in order to encourage people to reach out to friends and family through social media and various technologies.

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But others praised the president for his messaging, with one Twitter user writing that they're glad to see him sharing facts from experts.

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Some pointed out that social distancing needs to be enforced in popular spring break destinations, especially after partygoers in Miami made headlines. "If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I'm not going to let it stop me from partying," partygoer Brady Sluder told Reuters on Wednesday.

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Others took the opportunity to urge their peers to follow directions from Trump and other leaders asking people to keep their distance.

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Some praised the healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic working to flatten the curve and stop the spread.

Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla / Staff / Getty

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